


Silver and Gold

by Momoisme



Series: The Gift [1]
Category: Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
Genre: Complete, Dawnguard, F/F, Werewolf
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-08-26
Updated: 2015-08-26
Packaged: 2018-04-17 07:20:56
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 18
Words: 30,444
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4657617
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Momoisme/pseuds/Momoisme
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Elayn is a werewolf that joined up with the Dawnguard, because it seemed like a good idea at the time. She was on her way to tell Isran to shove off when that bloody Vigilant showed up. Now she's travelling with a vampire whose father is determined to end the tyranny of the sun over vampires. Wasn't Alduin enough?<br/>Update: This is getting a sequel. Give it two weeks o thou shippers.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> HELLO EVERYONE! You clicked this looking for fluffy goodness between Serana and a female Dragonborn, and if you're like me, you're hoping to the depths of Hades that MAYBE this one is a good one that you can smile idiotically about for the next few hours. I hope this is what you're looking for. Seriously, the lack of fics for these characters makes me cry. Argist the Bulwark gets more than them. Ridiculous.
> 
> Yeah, I know, rambling. READ!
> 
> Disclaimer: I don't own these characters except KIND OF Elayn but not the lore and such
> 
> I tweaked some dialogue. Kind of had to, since I couldn't find anything.

I crouched at the top of the balcony overlooking the cavern. Two vampires had just killed a Vigilant, and the blood-scent was heavy in my nose. The urge to rip the still-warm heart from the corpse and devour it was strong, but I figured that the essence of surprise was still mine. There were steps leading down, or a fifty foot leap onto the rock.

Too easy.

A beastial roar ripped threw my snarling jaws and I jumped. I landed with my knees bent and sprang at the one called Lokil. Blood that tasted profoundly _wrong_ filled my mouth as I tore into his throat. I shook him once to snap his spine and would have again if the other hadn't run up behind me with a knife.

The blade was meant to drive into my back and possibly kill me, but I whirled at the last second. It cut a furrow in my flesh that bled well enough to make me angry, and my snarl made that clear. She cowered, pale face even paler, and the fear-scent drove my beast-blood mad. Claws flashed in the dim light and tore her belly open. She let out an inhuman shriek as slimy ropes of grey spattered the floor, and the wailing only ceased when my teeth closed on her neck, ending the noise once and for all.

The all-too familiar struggle to calm my rapid heartbeat and breath was made easier by the vampire blood coating the floor. Necrotic flesh didn't count as living flesh, and the undead only served as sport. I felt the thick fur covering me recede into my skin, which tickled, while muscle and bone molded like clay to form a human shape. The change left me breathless and coated in sweat, and while the chill was mitigated by my beast-blood, it was still very apparent to me that the cave was frigid.

Normally I would have waited to revert back until I was wherever I had stashed my gear, but it seemed wiser to change back early this time. The platform across the bridge was clearly a puzzle, and the beast in me was less inclined to attempt something like that. Claws were meant for rending flesh, not solving something. Though I wished for my bow, the armor and blade I found on the vampire corpses would work well enough for the time being.

At the center of the rings set into the ground was a pedestal, atop which was a button made of polished stone. I pressed it, and immediately had to bite back a howl as a spike pierced the flesh of my hand. I yanked it away as violet flames spread from my blood, to the grooves in the floor, and to the nearest brazier.

I set about pushing the unlit ones and, more out of luck than any real skill, eventually completed the puzzle. The floor lowered into steps that led to a tomb beneath the pedestal. Likely some Draug reasoned, and stepped forward. The walls of the tomb dropped into the ground with a grinding of stone to reveal... a woman.

I dropped to one knee to catch her as she fell. Her skin, though pale as the ones I had killed, was in no way decayed despite the fact that the tomb had not been opened in a very long time. I put two fingers to her neck to check for a pulse. There was none, so it was a bit of a shock when her eyes fluttered open. The bright gold caught me off guard as they slowly focused on me.

"Where is..." She trailed off, frowning. "Who are you?"

I was somewhat unnerved by the talking corpse, but I wasn't so stupid that I couldn't put two and two together. "Elayn. I'm a friend. Were you expecting someone?"

"I was expecting someone... like me, at least." She moved to stand.

I rose with her, ready to steady her if need be. There was none. "Well, there were a few of your kind, but they're dead now." My eyes narrowed on her as a rather important fact came to mind. "If you need to feed, there's a body just across the bridge."

Her teeth ground together. "I can smell that. You're clearly not a vampire, so why are you helping me?"

The obvious suspicion made me grin, revealing sharpened canines. "Werewolf," I explained. "I really can't fault you for needing to feed on blood when I dine on the hearts of my enemies."

The suspicion was replaced by wariness. "I suppose that's fair."

I stepped back to give her some space. "Why were you locked away like that? And... is that an Elder Scroll on your back?"

"Yes, and it's mine." The wariness got worse. "And as for why I'm locked away... It's complicated, and I'm not sure if I can trust you. If you want the full story, help me get back to my family's home."

I shrugged. "No fur off my back. Where do you need to go?"

Her brow furrowed, like she was having trouble remembering. "My family used to live on an island to the west of Solitude. I would guess they still do. By the way... My name is Serana."

"Good to meet you!" I turned on my heel and started toward the bridge, before I remembered the body. "If you want to feed, now's the time. We'll be passing quite a few humans, and I'd rather not cause a scene."

She looked offended at the implication that she might become blood-crazy, but that was replaced by pure hunger as she scented the blood. I waited on the other side of the bridge, inspecting my nails, while my ears picked up the gush of blood. The vampire was back before long, and wiped her mouth off on the back of her hand. "Thanks."

"Not a problem. You must have been in there a long time." I knew the feeling of needing to eat; it wasn't pleasant.

"It's hard to say." The furrow was back. "I can't really tell. It feels like a long time, though. Who is Skyrim's High King?"

I barked a laugh. "That's actually a matter for debate."

That seemed to amuse her, at least. "Oh wonderful, a war of succession. It's good to know things haven't gotten boring. Who are the contenders?"

I blew out a breath and reminded myself that she probably wasn't one of the fanatics that normally broached the subject. "Well, the Empire supports the widowed Jarl, Elisif of Solitude, but there are many in Skyrim loyal to the Jarl of Windhelm, Ulfric Stormcloak."

"I take it you've heard too much of this already," she said wryly, before her eyes widened in shock. "Empire? What Empire?"

I blinked at her. "The Empire? From Cyrodiil?"

The news was obviously distressing to her. "Cyrodiil is the seat of an empire? I must have been gone longer than I thought; definitely longer than we planned. Please, let's hurry. I need to get home and figure out what's happened."

"But why were you locked in there?" I asked, confused.

She looked wary again. "I'd rather not get into that with you." I suppose I looked offended, because she quickly said, "I'm sorry, it's not that..." She shook her head. "It's just that I don't know who I can trust yet. Let's get to my home, and I'll have a better sense of where we stand."

"Why is this place so important?" I asked.

"It's my family home," she explained. "It's not the most welcoming place, but depending on who's around, I'll be safe. It's on an island near Solitude. Hopefully we can find a boat willing to take us there."

The thought of home not being safe was baffling to both me and to my beast. "Why wouldn't you be safe there?"

She hesitated. "Let's just say that my mother and father had a bit of a falling out. Don't worry," she said, and I realized I needed to get better control of my facial expressions. "I'm not in danger or anything. It'll just be more unpleasant to run into my father."

I chuckled. "If he gets rude, I'll piss on his chair. Werewolves are known to be petty like that."

Two stone gargoyles burst to life with the sound of a small avalanche, and I rounded on them with a snarl. Serana had it under control, though, wielding a spell in each hand. They crumbled to dust as they died, and my sword cut through empty air. The swing had more power than it should have in it- I was hitting stone after all- and I stumbled. "That's one I haven't seen before," I said, glancing around for any more.

She looked uneasy. "They're a specialty of my father's. My mother must have left them here to protect me."

It was incredibly fortunate for me that there weren't any more living statues, or living dead, for that matter. We made it to the entrance of the cave where I had stashed my bag, armor, and bow. Serana turned her back while I changed into the hide armor blessed by Hircine himself that I had come to love, as well as a pair of leather leggings and boots. I slung my pack over my shoulder, and my bow over that.

"Let's go," I said. "The sun hasn't come up yet. If we move quickly, we can make it to Morthal before it does."

She glanced at me. "We don't have to travel only by night. I've fed recently enough that I should be fine."

I rolled my eyes in response. "Don't lie to me. A dead Vigilant half-drained already isn't going to keep you going for the whole trip. Morthal is a quiet town with plenty of travellers going through it. We can rest there for the day, you can feed, and we'll slip out without anyone the wiser."

She looked uncomfortable, but said nothing else, and I started down the path. I smelled the sunlight before too long, but Morthal was in sight, so we kept going. The light was just beginning to creep over the hills when we entered the tavern.

Seran stayed quiet, for the most part, as I paid for the room for the night. I shut the door behind me, dropped my bag, and sprawled on the fur left on the floor. She looked down at me, eyebrow quirked. "Don't you want the bed?"

I shook my head. "This floor is more comfortable than the rocks I've been sleeping on the past few days. You take it, you were the one in a coma for Oblivion knows how long."

She sat, hands braced on the straw mattress. "I don't know if I can sleep," she admitted. "Like you said, coma."

"If you want to go out into town, I won't stop you," I told her, angling my head so I could see her. "Just be careful, alright? Word spreads fast in places like this."

She inclined her head toward me and stepped over my legs to leave the room. I let out a sigh and tucked my arms behind my head. Isran would not be thrilled with this turn of events.

I thought about that for a moment, and decided I really didn't care. I had joined up with his little vampire hunting pack long enough to clear out some vampires from around Riften. I had even been getting ready to tell him I was leaving when that damn Vigilant- now dead in the cave- had opened his mouth. I didn't really have any qualms against vampires as a whole, but the pay for the nest I had dismantled had been  good for better arrows. If Serana wanted to go home, I was more than willing to see her there, and then find myself a nice little forest to hunt in until I forgot what it was like to wear a human skin.

I smiled a little at that. When I had run into that runt Farkas outside Whiterun, we had known what the other was immediately. He had followed me, and confronted me near the river.

"You're one of us?" he demanded. After grabbing my arm to stop me, which did not endear him to me.

I yanked my arm away from him and turned to him with my lip curled. "Werewolf, yes. Part of your pack, no, so don't touch me like that again."

The insult to both his Nord and Beast pride didn't go over well with him. I knew why. Female Nords didn't tend to be so confrontational, and werewolves tended to be a little more courteous to one they didn't know the mettle of. I saw his eyes flare bright silver, before he let out a shuddering breath. Ah, of course. This one was leashed.

I had laughed in his face. "By the Nine, has someone castrated you? I've never seen anyone fight the change so hard."

"Hircine doesn't control me," he spat. "I'm a true Nord, and I will see Sovngarde one day."

I scoffed. "So you'll be controlled by your customs, just not a Daedric Prince who can assure you an everlasting hunt? A pity. We're all controlled by someone, it might as well be a matter of use, instead of your damn pride."

His eyes flashed again, and I saw the shimmer that always came before the change. I smiled wolfishly, tensed to leap or attack, when one of his Companions had come up behind him. "Let's go, Farkas," she said, glaring at me.

He had cast me another glower before calming, and letting the girl lead him away. "Good hunting, pup!" I called, before continuing on my way.

 


	2. Chapter 2

My reminiscing of that moment soon turned to great hunts of old, my dreams as vivid as always. When I woke up, Serana was looking down at me with an amused look. "Your leg kicks like a dog's in your sleep," she explained.

I grunted and sat up, stretching and yawning. My nose caught the smell of raw meat, and my head snapped to the source of the smell. A bowl of venison, fresh, had been set by my side. I cast a glance toward Serana, who nodded, before tearing into it. Before long, only bone was left, and even that I chewed on. I considered barking, just to be annoying, but occasionally my pride stopped me from doing stupid things and this was definitely one of them.

I dropped the bone into a bowl and wiped the blood from my mouth. "I take it you found food as well."

"I went hunting," she told me. "I borrowed your bow. I hope you don't mind."

A cursory glance told me it hadn't been damaged badly, so I shrugged. "You fed me. I'm not complaining. The sun is down?"

"Almost." She set the bowl aside. "You really don't seem to aspire toward humanity, do you?"

I rolled my eyes, and tucked my legs under myself. "Humanity? Do you mean the system of customs and codes designed to keep you from doing anything fun or interesting? No thanks. If it wasn't easier to deal with people and do other fun things in this form, I wouldn't bother at all." I glanced up at her. "What about you? You don't seem to be regretting the vampirism."

"Why should I? It's a gift."

I stood, grunting, and grabbed my pack and bow. "Exactly."

We had more time to travel than the night before, and it was well before dawn when reached the coast of Haafingar. A shape jutted out of the water, barely visible through the fog. "That's it," she said. "We used to keep a boat around here to get there and back. Do you see it?"

I leapt off the rock I was perched on and pointed toward a small dock. "Over there. Do you think it'll still work?"

"I guess we'll have to try." She didn't sound too worried. I was, though. Vampires didn't really have to breathe like werewolves did, and I wasn't too great at swimming.

The boat was fine, and we rowed out toward the island. When we docked, I turned around to get a look at the place, and my jaw dropped. "This is your home?"

"This is it," she said, coming to stand next to me. "Home sweet... castle."

"You didn't mention it was this huge." I tore my eyes away from the thing to look at her. Cities were one thing, but this was a _castle_.

"I didn't want you to think I was one of those..." She shook her head. "I don't know, women who sit in their castles all day? This place isn't really _me_. I hope you can believe that."

I smiled a little and didn't answer, remembering the hut I had come from.

We walked up the steps and toward the gate at the end of the bridge. We were halfway across when she stopped. I glanced back. "Are you alright?"

Her eyes lightened a bit, but her mouth was still tilted down. "I think so. And thanks for asking. It's just, before we go in, I wanted  to thank you for getting this far. But after we get in there, I'm going to go my own way for a while. Once we're inside, just stay quiet for a bit. Let me take the lead."

I faked a pout. "Can't I at least destroy someone's shoes?"

She laughed and shook her head, walking past me. A watchman let out a shout as she got closed, "Lady Serana is back! Open the gate!"

The scent of firewood and blood hit my nose like a mattress from Markarth. I was so lost in the smell that I didn't notice the vampire walk up to us, obviously angry. "How dare you trespass here?" He stopped, and my eyes focused on him in case he decided to attack, but his face was full of wonder instead of anger. "Wait, Serana? Is is truly you? I cannot believe my eyes." He smiled, something that didn't reach his eyes, and turned toward the balcony overlooking a feast. "My lord! Everyone! Serana has returned!"

I mimicked the vampire's astonishment, and she snickered. "I guess I'm expected." I followed her as she descended the steps, hanging back respectfully, but close enough to jump in if I needed to.

"My long-lost daughter has returned at last!" cried the vampire at the head of the feast. He stepped from the dais to greet us, arms spread wide. "I trust you have my Elder Scroll."

"After all these years and that's the first thing you ask me?" The sarcasm in Serana's voice was definitely present, but so was something else.

Hurt. I bristled.

"Yes, I have the scroll," she continued.

"Of course I'm delighted to see you, my daughter," he assured her. "Must I really say the words aloud?" His voice reminded me of something I had found in a Dwemer ruin, deep in the bowels.

"If only your traitor mother were here," he said, voice turning vicious. "I would let her watch this reunion before I put her head on a spike." He glanced at me as I away from the steps and toward Serana. "Now tell me, who is this stranger you have brought into our hall?"

"This is my savior," she told him. "The one who freed me."

His reddish-gold eyes met mine. "For my daughter's safe return, you have my gratitude. Tell me, what is your name, werewolf?"

"Elayn," I said, voice remaining strong despite my unease that he knew. "Who are you?"

"I am Harkon, lord of this court." I could tell he enjoyed saying this, enjoyed showing off his power. "By now, my daughter will have told you what we are."

"You're a reclusive cannibal cult," I responded dryly.

He smiled, a sharp and not at all friendly gesture. "Not quite, though that's amusing coming from one such as you. No, we are vampires, among the oldest and most powerful in Skyrim." He swept his hands in an all-encompassing gesture. "For centuries we lived here, far from the cares of the world. All that ended when my wife betrayed me and stole away that which I valued most." His eyes cut to the Elder Scroll, and I knew that was what he meant.

"Glad to be of service," I said woodenly. "What happens now?"

"There is only one gift I can bestow upon you that is equal in value to the Elder Scroll and my daughter. I offer you my blood. Take it, and you will walk as a lion among sheep. Men will tremble at your approach, and you will never fear death again."

I raised an eyebrow, somewhat intrigued. "I'm a werewolf. Won't that affect your... gift?"

His lip curled. "Yes, I can smell it on you. The power of my blood will purge the filth of the beast-blood from your veins and make you whole again."

I resisted the urge to growl at the insinuation that I was anything less than this leech. "And if I want to stay this way?"

"Then I will banish you from this castle." His smile remained, but his eyes were cruel. "I will spare your life this once, but after that, you are prey." He saw my indecision, and his eyes flashed red. "You still need convincing? Behold the power!"

He hunched, and his skin split from his body to drop from his flesh. When he straightened, the blood flew from his body to splatter the hall and myself. His- it's- skin was tinged with blue, its eyes were black, and it floated above the ground though its wings never once flapped.

"This is the power I offer," it thundered, voice eerily reminiscent of the first time I had heard Molag Bal speak. "Make your choice."

I lifted my chin, eyes narrowed. "I don't want to become a vampire."

It growled low in his throat. "So be it. You are prey, like all mortals. I banish you!"

I turned my back on the demon and its cohorts- and Serana. Numerous gazes made the hair on the back of my neck stand as I walked out of the castle. I didn’t like Harkon. No one made me feel like prey.

 


	3. Chapter 3

Though originally I had planned to leave the Dawnguard, an Elder Scroll in the hands of a vampire that powerful and that insane was not something I would keep from Isran. I ran to Solitude, in human form, and took a carriage to Riften. I slept on the ride there, and began to run again, back to the fort. Isran and the others were fighting a group of vampires when I arrived. I drew my bow and in three quick shots, ended the fight.

"Look at this," Isran rumbled as I neared the bodies. "I should have known it was only a matter of time before they found us. It's the price we pay for openly recruiting." He made a grumbling sound in his chest. "We'll have to step up our defenses. I don't suppose you have some good news for me."

"Not exactly," I said, crouching to retrieve my arrows from the bodies.

"Damn." He directed a few of the recruits to clearing the bodies before he turned back to me. "Well, what do you know?"

I hesitated. Isran was known to be less level-headed than was wise for me to needle. "The vampires were looking for a woman trapped in Dimhollow."

"A woman?" He was confused. "Trapped in there? That doesn't make any sense." He glanced around, as if he might see her come out of the trees. "Who is she? And where is she?"

"She wanted to go home, so I took her to her castle," I said, keeping my eyes on the arrows I was trying to salvage.

He grunted. "I'm waiting to hear what this means."

I met his eyes, tensed to run. "She's the daughter of a powerful vampire lord. And they also have an Elder Scroll."

He was as still as a statue for a moment. Then he exploded. "You delivered the daughter of a vampire lord to her father and you didn't even secure the scroll?"

"I'm lucky I made it out alive!" I snapped at him. "There were too many of them, and only one of me. Werewolf or not, I'm not suicidal."

"So they have everything they wanted, and we have nothing?" He spat on the ground. "By the Divines, this couldn't get much worse. This is more than we can handle."

I frowned at him. "You're not going to give up, are you?"

"Did I say that?" he asked shortly. "We just need... we need help. If they're bold enough to attack us here, then they're more than we're prepared for. I have some good men here, but it's not enough. There are some people I've worked with over the years; we could use their skills. If you can find them, we might stand a chance."

"Where can I find them?" I asked immediately.

"Heh, right to the point. Not like those fool Vigilants. We should keep this small. Too many people and we'll draw more attention than we can handle."

He listed off two names and locations, and a little bit of background information. I promised I'd be back as soon as I could be, and set off. Neither of them were very difficult to find. Gunmar was hunting some bear that had attacked too many people. I helped him kill the thing, secured his help, and went to find Sorine. She was somewhat vacant, more focused on some Dwemer artifacts than what I was saying. When I finally got through to her, she said that she'd help if she had the artifacts she was looking for. I tracked the bag she had dropped and returned it to her, and she went the same was as Gunmar.

I arrived about the same time they did. The gates were up, and Isran stood on the upper floor, overlooking us. "Alright, Isran," Gunmar called. "We're here. What do you want?"

"Hold it right there," he ordered, and pulled a lever next to him. Bright sunlight flooded the room, and I bit back a noise of complaint that might have gotten a bolt through my heart.

"What are you doing?" Sorine asked, sounding more curious than annoyed.

"Making sure you're not vampires." He shoved the lever back into place, and the light disappeared. "Can't be too careful."

He explained things to the newcomers as the gates opened; things I really didn't care to pay attention to. It was only when he directed his gaze toward me that I heard him say, "... in the meantime, we're going to get to the bottom of why a vampire showed up here looking for you. Let's go have a chat with it, shall we?"

 


	4. Chapter 4

There was only one vampire it could be, and since I knew we were heading straight for the torture chamber, I was more than a little worried. It was a relief to find Serana unharmed, though she looked slightly uncomfortable around all the blood. How the blood had gotten there was a mystery I wasn't even going to begin to attempt to solve.

"The vampire showed up while you were away," Isran said darkly. "I'm guessing it's the one you found in Dimhollow crypt. Says it's got something really important to say to you." He sat. "So, let's hear it."

Serana lowered her hood, looking almost... guilty? "You probably weren't expecting to see me again."

"What are you doing here?" I demanded.

"I'd rather not be here either, but I needed to talk to you." I opened my mouth to refute the "either", but she continued. "It's important, so please listen before your friend here loses his patience. It's..." She sighed. "Well, it's about me. And the Elder Scroll that was buried with me."

"What about you?"

"The reason I was down there," she said. "And why I had the Elder Scroll. It all comes back to my father."

I waited, saying nothing.

"I'm guessing you figured this part out already, but my father isn't exactly a good person. Even by vampire standards."

I snorted, and she glared at me. "What?" I asked. "It's true."

"He wasn't always like that though," she said, almost urgently. "There was a turn. He stumbled onto this obscure prophecy and just kind of... lost himself in it."

I frowned. "What do you mean he 'lost himself'?"

She shrugged. "He just became absorbed... obsessed. It was kind of sick, actually. The prophecy said that vampires wouldn't have to fear the sun anymore. For someone who considers himself vampire royalty, that's pretty interesting. My mother and I didn't feel like inviting a war with all of Tamriel, so we tried to stop him. That's why I was sealed away with the scroll."

"What does this have to do with the Dawnguard?" Isran interrupted.

She scowled at him. "I'm sorry, I heard there were vampire hunters here. I thought they might want to know about a vampire plot to enslave the rest of the world."

I crossed my arms, brow creased in concern more than anything ."You took a big risk coming here."

She nodded. "I did. But something about you makes me think I can trust you. I hope I'm not wrong."

I smiled, a small one. "I'm happy to help, but we'll need to convince the others that you're on our side."

"Let's go, then, I'm nothing if not persuasive."

I snorted, and turned to Isran, who was staring at Serana like she was something extremely confusing. She probably was. "You want us to help you?"

"That was the plan, yes, assuming the rest of them can trust a vampire."

"They will," I said, voice hard. "I don't care if you're a vampire or not, they can't turn tail for this one."

Isran stood with a growl. "It can stay for now, but if it so much as lays a finger on anyone here, I'm holding _you_ responsible, got it?" He turned to Serana before I could snap at him. "You hear me? You're not a guest, you're a resource; an asset. In the meantime, don't make me regret my sudden outburst of tolerance and generosity, because if you do, your friend here is going to pay for it."

That crossed a line. I growled, a real growl that started from the pit of my chest and bubbled into my throat. The kind of noise you hear outside your shack at night and wet yourself with fear. "Threaten me or her again, and vampire threat or not, you'll be the one to pay," I said lowly, the growl still apparent in my voice.

He cast a look my way that threatened death. I met his gaze steadily, until it dropped, and he walked away.

Serana was staring at me when I turned back to her. "What?" I asked, dropping my arms to my sides.

"Nothing." She reached behind her back to touch the Elder Scroll. "Whatever this says, it has to be something that can help us. The problem is that neither of us can read it."

I had heard that about the scrolls. "Who can?"

"Well..." She paused. "The Moth Priests are the only ones I've heard of that can do it. They spend years preparing before they start reading. I suppose that doesn't help us, anyway, because they're half a continent away in Cyrodiil."

"There's one in Skyrim," someone said from around the corner. Out of the shadows stepped Agmaer, glancing warily at Serana. "I was on patrol when I saw him go by. I talked to the guards with him; he's your Moth Priest."

"Do you know where he's staying now?" I asked excitedly.

The boy shook his head. "You might try asking the innkeepers and carriage drivers in the cities. I'm sorry, but I have to get back to training."

Serana watched him scurry off with a thoughtful look. "That boy is entirely smitten with you."

I grunted. "Not so loud. The walls have eyes, and ears, and occasionally a hand with a crossbow in it. I'll go get packed, and we can check Riften for any sign of the Priest." As I passed, I whispered in her ear, "Wolves rarely run with whelps like him."

We waited until nightfall to leave, and set off toward Riften. There was a carriage driver, his cart the kind with a roof,  talking to a woman from the city who had been walking up the path. I cleared my throat as I got close, and she scurried off. At the sight of me or Serana, I did not know.

"Yeah?" the man asked gruffly.

"We're looking for a Moth Priest," I told him. "Have you seen one?"

"That's one of them Imperial scholars, right? Old man with a grey robe?"

I nodded. "You seen him?"

The driver smiled slyly. "I might have, but I can't quite remember. I've got enough troubles on my mind just trying to scrape by here."

I grabbed him by the collar of his shirt, moving faster than he expected and hefted him off the ground with a snarl. "Tell me, now, and maybe I'll let you go."

The man scrabbled at my hand, face turning purple. "I-I saw him, just a few days ago. He tried to hire me for a trip to Dragon Bridge, but I told him that wasn't one of my stops."

I smiled, showing fangs, and set him down gently. "It's one of your stops now. Fifty gold now, and more when we get there. That's four times your usual rate to Solitude, isn't it?"

"Very kind, ma'am," he said, panting and clutching his neck. "We'll leave as soon as you're ready."

I inclined my head to Serana, and jumped into the back of the carriage. I sprawled on the floor, leaning against the back, and leaned my head back. She joined me a moment later, closing the gate with a click. The carriage started moving, and it was quiet.

I opened one eye to see her staring at me again. "What?" I demanded, slightly irritable from the lack of sleep.

"That's twice you've threatened someone like that," she said quietly. "Is that normal for you?"

"The man was being a weasel!" I protested- quietly, so he didn't hear and take offense. "Maybe he'll learn from this experience."

"And Isran?"

I gritted my teeth and looked away, focusing on the corner of the bench across from her. "He shouldn't have threatened you," I said after a moment. "You didn't deserve that."

"A vampire in the middle of a fortress of vampire hunters?" she asked, smile evident in her voice.

I exhaled slowly and looked back up at her. "A killer is a killer, that much I know. It's practically etched into my bones. But none of us, not even him, have the right to claim superiority because we don't kill everything in sight." My gaze dropped again, and I picked at a knot in the wood. "Vampire clans, werewolf packs, vampire hunter groups, it's all the same. People die, and I do include the non-humans in that."

My voice got quiet, and harsh. "Vampires killed a great deal of my pack. And when they were weak, humans finished them off. Either I let go of my hatred, or I let it fester until, like any infection, it destroys a part of me. Isran holds his hate like a torch to keep him warm in the snow, but that torch is going to burn him if he isn't careful."

I let out a growl and looked up, remembering the way he spoke to her. "I don't care what happens to him, as long as we stop your father, and as long as he isn't stupid enough to hurt someone I actually give a damn about."

I looked at her again when she didn't respond. She definitely wasn't looking at me. "Just forget it," I muttered, rolling over and resting my head on my arm. "Wake me up when we reach Dragonbridge."

 


	5. Chapter 5

The carriage driver was more than happy to see the back of us. I paid him the rest of the coin, and he left immediately. Masser hung in the sky, its rays creating more than enough light for our heightened senses. Even so, Serana smelled the blood before I saw it. She took off at a sprint, down the road, and I followed close behind.

An overturned cart and three dead bodies were waiting for us as we rounded the bend. "Do you think the Priest was here?" she asked, standing away from the bodies.

I knelt by a torn satchel and found a book, Effects of Elder Scrolls. "He was." I eyed one of the corpses. "Your father's people got to him first."

She knelt by the vampire's corpse, and handed me a small note. "Forebears Holdout?"

"Can't be far." I looked around, and shook my head. "There's blood on the ground, I can smell it. If I were in my beast form I could track it."

"Then why don't you?"

I folded my arms, glaring up at Masser. "She and I haven't been seeing eye to eye on things lately. I don't know how she'd react to being free."

"I can keep her under control," Serana said. "If you want to try, that is."

The idea of turning, of feeling the delicious burn of my body breaking and changing into something so much more powerful, sent a shiver down my spine. I took a breath to steady myself, and nodded. "Alright. Can you hold my things? I don't take them with me when I change."

She smiled a little. "I guessed as much when I saw you in that vampire armor. I'll carry your bag and your weapons until we find the Priest."

I dropped my bow, quiver, and bag to the ground, then knelt by the pile to draw something out of a hidden pocket in the bag. As I tugged at the strings binding it, the red cloth fell away to reveal a silver dagger. The metal wasn't touching my skin, but I could still feel the cold burn of it.

I handed it to her, face as grave as it could be. "If I do anything stupid, use that," I told her. "A decent cut will at least put me out for a while. Or it will change me back. Either way, I'd prefer you have it."

She nodded, and tucked it into her belt. I shucked my armor off, followed by my smallclothes, and dropped them in a pile. I let the barrier between myself and my beast drop, a tenuous thing that had barely been holding, and the change began.

I dropped in a crouch as the muscles and tendons of my body began to snap and reform, making way for the growing bones. My jaw ached as it elongated, and my teeth grew sharper and longer. My skin prickled maddeningly as coarse, black hairs pushed their way through my skin. The world went red, and I let out a howl that was equal parts pain and exhilaration. When the earth stopped spinning, and my ears stopped ringing, I stood, cautiously remaining on four legs.

Serana was gaping at me, amber eyes wide. The beast didn't attack, even though it knew vampires tended to mean danger for me. I stepped forward, the beast curious to see the vampire with her own eyes.

In Harkon's court, she had been slavering to attack; to rip the throat from the demon before her and bathe in its blood. There was none of that aggression here, only interest.

"Elayn?" Serana breathed, barely moving. "You aren't going to attack me, right?"

I snorted, a short breath through my nose, and shook my head. The top of my head bumped against her, almost without my consent, before I started toward the bloodtrail. In human form, I could barely see or smell the splashes of red, but they were practically glowing now. I growled over my shoulder and broke into a run on all fours, nose to the trail.

It led to a cave, which was about what I had expected. I began the shift back, grateful that the beast-blood seemed to accept Serana as an ally. Jealousy, thy name is wolf, but that didn't seem to be a problem here.

The change back was a bit more painful than usual. I sobbed once, curled into a ball and shuddering. The thing about the change was that it always hurt. Always. It just never seemed to matter later on.

I heard footsteps advancing toward me. They sounded like the vampire, quiet and methodical, so I didn't move. I did, however, jolt when a cool hand my hair back, away from my face. Against my feverish skin, it felt like ice, and that wasn't necessarily a bad thing.

"That looked painful," she murmured.

I groaned, not moving. "More so than usual," I admitted. "She doesn't like being caged, and if I don't change more often, she makes sure I regret it."

Her hand didn't move from my hair. That was nice, even though I didn't like to admit it. A vampire petting a werewolf; other packs would laugh themselves to death at it. The pain faded from my bones and the shuddering stopped, and I decided that other packs could go skin themselves for all I cared.

I sat up, slowly, as not to startle her, and shook the dirt clear of my head. Or, as well as I could. I really needed to bathe. "My stuff?" I croaked. I cleared my throat and repeated it.

She handed me my bag, and I dressed swiftly. I stood with my hand braced on the rock for support, and shouldered my bag. "Let's go find a Priest," I said, grinning. My blood burned when she repeated the gesture.

 


	6. Chapter 6

The vampires inside didn't notice us, but the hounds certainly did. They were the same beasts I had seen in Harkon's castle, with the same shadowy pelts and burning eyes. They started barking viciously as soon as we were in sight, alerting the vampires to our presence. Serana leapt into the fray, reanimating one of the hounds that I had brought down with a well-placed arrow. The rest fell swiftly enough, and Serana met me by the tunnel leading deeper into the cave.

"You fought well this time," she said, sounding both impressed and approving. "Swordplay really isn't your best skill."

I pulled another arrow from my quiver and held it in my bow hand so it would be ready to fire. "If I'm up close and personal with whatever I'm fighting, I like to have my claws. This body is weaker, so I'm better off at a range." I glanced at the death hound following us. "Is it normal for a vampire to be so well-versed in necromancy?"

She rolled her eyes. "Not typically. One of my kind can usually reanimate something weak to fight for us, but my mother taught me quite a bit before..."

"Before you were locked up," I said quietly. "That had to hurt her."

Serana's lips thinned, like she was recounting a bad memory. "She wasn't that upset when we left the castle. She kept telling me how sorry she was, and how much she'd miss me, but... It seemed like she was more excited to spite my father than sad to lose me."

I hesitated a moment, before saying, "If it makes you feel any better, I know what it's like to have parents more interested in killing each other than raising you." When she drew a breath to speak, I shook my head rapidly. "We'll talk later. We need to find this Moth Priest."

The screaming was a pretty clear indicator of where the priest was. "The more you fight me, the more you will suffer, mortal!" snarled what I assumed was a vampire. Rounding the corner, I realized I was right, but it hadn't seen me yet.

The Priest was trapped in a strange bubble of foul energy, kneeling. From the set of his shoulders I guessed it wasn't by choice. "I will resist you, monster!" he cried. "I must!"

The vampire laughed scornfully. "How much longer can you keep this up, Moth Priest? Your mind was strong, but you're exhausted from the struggle."

"Must... resist..." the Priest panted, but I could tell he was losing the fight.

The vampire could too. "Good. I can feel your defenses crumbling." His voice turned soothing. "You want it to end. You want to give in to me. Now, acknowledge me as your master."

The voice that came from the Priest was wooden, broken. "Yes, master."

I cursed, knocked an arrow, and loosed it at the vampire who stood with his head tossed back and his teeth bared in a vicious laugh. It struck him right through his exposed neck, and the laughter cut off into a choked gurgle. I crept forward, Serana close behind, but the vampire died without much fuss. The Priest still knelt in the bubble of energy. I reached out to touch it, and hissed when it burned my fingers.

"How are we going to get this down?" I asked, clenching my hand in a fist to try and relieve the sting.

Serana stood from where she had been by the corpse of the vampire and showed me a grey stone lined with greenish crystal. "It's a Weystone focus. If we find where this goes, we can deactivate the field."

I glanced around, and pointed to some steps leading up onto a ledge. "Up there, maybe?"

"Worth a try," she said, and ran toward it.

There was a small pillar of rock with an indent shaped like the stone. She set it down, and the light flashed before disappearing entirely. The Priest rose, and his lifeless eyes gazed up at us. "I serve my master's will. His enemies will pay."

He moved toward the steps, walking stiffly, and I growled in frustration. "We can't kill him. Is it even possible to cure a thrall?"

"The one you killed didn't feed on him," she said quickly. "If you can stun him, the enthrallment should break."

"Hit an angry priest on the head?" I asked, grinning. "Easy."

Not as easy as I would have hoped. Since I was close enough to clout him with the metal grip of my bow, he was close enough to slash me with the dagger. We fell at the same time, him crumpled on the floor and me kneeling with my hand on my side.

"I hate close-range," I panted, pulling my hand away to look at the blood. It wasn't any strange color, and it wasn't too much. I would be fine until we could get to an inn or make camp. "Doesn't bother you, does it?" I asked Serana, waving my hand a bit.

"Animal blood isn't anywhere near as enticing as human," she said, pulling the Priest upright. "I don't have to worry about that with you."

"Oh good. I’m glad I smell like a dog." I tore the tunic of the vampire, binding the wound as well as I could through the leather of my armor. The scratch I had gotten in Dimhollow Crypt had already healed, but it hadn't been quite this bad. I'd have to be careful.

The Priest woke soon enough, likely helped by my smacking his face. His eyes flew open just in time to see me pull my hand back to try again. "Wait! Stop! The vampire's hold is broken."

I sat back. "Damn. It's not every day I get to hit someone."

Serana cast a dark look at me before speaking to the Priest. "Are you alright?"

"Quite alright, thanks to you." He stood, groaning with the effort of age. "My name is Dexion Evicus. I'm a Moth Priest of the White Gold Tower. These demons claimed they had some use for me, but they wouldn't say. Likely holding me for ransom, the fools."

"Actually, they needed you for the same reason we do," I said, jumping to my feet and then wincing as the motion had my wound throbbing. "We're from the Dawnguard, and we need you to read an Elder Scroll."

His eyes grew wide. "An Elder Scroll? Remarkable! If I remember correctly, the Dawnguard was an ancient order of vampire hunters, yes?" At my nod, he bowed his head. "I will be happy to assist you with your Elder Scroll. Where shall we begin?"

"Head to Fort Dawnguard, outside of Riften. It's near Stendarr's Beacon." I peered suspiciously at his clothes. "Will you be able to make it there on your own?"

"News of my rescue shouldn't reach the vampires soon enough for them to track me. I'll hurry there." He left in a swish of robes and beard.

I watched him go, fairly certain my face showed as much contempt as I felt. "Scholars. I'd almost say we should go with him, but-" I prodded the gash on my side and grimaced. "Yeah, we'll move too slow."

"Don't you have any healing potions?" she asked, sounding equally both concerned and annoyed.

A laugh escaped me before I could stop it. "Not as such. The whole werewolf thing means that I usually don't have to worry about injuries. The ones I suffer as a wolf heal fairly quickly when I shift back, just not the other way around. Having someone around, and having to go and fetch people like this, means that I don't tend to let her out very often."

She didn't look happy to hear that. "So my being here is a burden for you?"

"That's not what I meant!" I protested. "All I meant was that I'm not used to travelling or fighting like this. Or... getting injured, for that matter." I gritted my teeth as a rising heartbeat made the gash worse. "I'm glad to have you here, and I'll be even happier if you can help me get back to Dragon Bridge without passing out."

Weirdly, that seemed to make her feel better. She held her arm out for me, which I was grateful to have. The blood loss, or the shock of the injury- I wasn't sure which- was worse than I thought, and I was starting to feel exhausted. The cause of the weakness became apparent when I collapsed by a tree just outside the cave.

"Are you okay?" Serana asked, voice high with worry.

"It had to be silver," I said, panting. "I'm not going to be able to make it into town."

She stood on the balls of her feet, like she was ready to run. "I can go to town and get help."

"No!" I groaned, the yell making me dizzy now. "No. You might get attacked."

"Then what can I do to help?" She knelt down by my side, moving my hand from the injury. She let out a gasp when she shifted the cloth. "It's streaked with purple."

I laughed, a husky and quiet sound. "That sounds about right. It must have been a worse cut than I thought." My vision swam as she prodded at it, and it felt like the pain swallowed me up as I lost consciousness.


	7. Chapter 7

When I woke up, I was under a tent. That wasn't right. I hadn't been under a tent when I had-

Oh, right, I had passed out. Silver. My hand pressed against my side where the cut had been. It didn't feel as bad as it had. There was also padding there. Someone had bandaged me? Where was Serana?

The tent was a large one. There was also blood spattering the ground and the walls, but none on the bedroll I was on. It didn't quite look Khajiit, and it smelled more like sweaty human than cat. There was a knife near me on, on the floor. I grabbed it, feeling somewhat safer now. If I had been taken captive, they wouldn't have been stupid enough to leave me with a knife.

"You're awake. Good."

Serana stood in the entrance to the tent, a gentle frown on her face. I sat up as well as I could, and quickly realized my armor was gone. "Just for a minute," I said, clearing my throat when the words came out hoarse. "How long have I been out?"

Her voice was hard when she responded. "Three days. I wasn't sure you were going to wake up."

That explained the gnawing hunger. And the lack of pain from the gash on my side. It had probably even healed already. "I'm sorry," I said, smiling in what I hoped was a placating manner. "I would have warned you, but I can never tell how I'm going to fair with wounds like those."

"I thought you were going to die," she said quietly, and the expression on her face finally registered. Oh.

I shoved the furs off my legs and stood, barely stumbling. "I'm fine," I told her, ripping off the bandaging. She made a move to stop me, but the sight of healed skin stopped her. "There'll be a nasty scar there, but I'm fine."

She stared at me, silent. "There's food over the fire," she said finally, before leaving me in the tent.

I groaned, frustrated and annoyed. Another wonderful thing about travelling alone and as a wolf was that things like this weren't a problem. I never had to care about upsetting someone, and if anyone upset _me_ , I ripped their throat out. Dealing with Isran I could have done whatever I wanted, but with Serana it was different. My human side was against leaving, and my beast-blood agreed. Serana was a packmate, and you didn't leave your pack behind.

I buried my hands in my shaggy, cropped hair. I really wanted to go and make sure she was okay, make sure she wasn't angry at me, but I wasn't sure how. I had tried earlier and it hadn't done anything but make her upset again. I dressed in sharp movements and stalked out into the snow when I was done.

There was stew heating in a pot above the fire, it smelled like venison. Serana was sitting by it with her legs tucked up, her arms resting on her knees, and her chin resting on her forearm. I sat next to her and ate, silent. If she wanted to talk, I'd leave it to her to tell me.

Or so I thought. When I finished my third bowl of the stew, she still hadn't said anything, or even looked at me. I scrubbed out the bowl in the snow, set it aside, and shifted my body to face her. She glanced up, once, before looking back at the fire.

"I'm sorry I scared you," I told her, as earnest as I could be. "I really am okay."

"I know you are." She still refused to look away from the fire.

"Then why are you so upset?" I asked, fighting to keep my voice low. "Werewolf, remember? I'm not used to guessing games, or actually giving a damn if someone is hurting. I'm not going to be able to figure it out."

She looked up, amber eyes glistening. "That's the problem. You care. My own mother didn't care about me, not really. She just wanted to spite my father. I'm not used to..." She exhaled raggedly. "And I care about you. I'm not used to that either. And you nearly died."

I reached forward, slowly, and took her hand in mine. "I'm still alive. I'm not going anywhere." I tilted her chin up, silver eyes meeting gold. "I won't leave you."

I shifted again so I could pull her into a hug, and she let me. It really hit me how small she was, especially for a Nord. And while she might have been centuries old, most of that seemed to have been spent in a castle watching her parents descend into obsessive madness, or locked in a tomb.  

I started to hum, a song that I had learned as a child, before my pack had been decimated. The fire burned down to cinders about the same time as I finished. She pulled away gently and I let her go. "We need to get back to Isran," she told me, her voice less pained than before. "He'll notice the Priest arrived before you did."

I climbed to my feet, shaking off pins and needles from sitting so long, and glanced around. "Was this... was this a bandit camp?"

The corners of her mouth twisted up a little. "There may have been a few Forsworn here."

"Uh huh." I smirked. "I'm not even going to ask where they are now. C'mon, we're wasting moonlight." I shouldered my pack again, and we set off toward Solitude.

From there, we took a carriage to Riften. The driver looked more than a little suspicious when I approached him, and even a little scared when I smiled. Clearly the one I had bullied into taking us to Dragon Bridge had been talking. This one definitely seemed more than happy to see the back of us.

As cold as winters in Skyrim could be- not that I really minded, my beast-blood kept me warm- it was fortunate that one was upon us. The days were short, leaving plenty of time for walking. Then again, that meant that the vampires trying to kill us would have plenty of time to move about and try to kill us, but the world wasn't perfect.

Isran, of course, demanded that we step into the sunlight that he directed into the circular chamber, but I was able to argue my way into making him look at my eyes. There were still a brilliant silver, something that couldn't be faked. It helped that Serana was the only one who knew where she had stashed the Elder Scroll that the Priest needed to read.

When he was assured that I hadn't been turned, or enthralled- kind of impossible since vampires couldn't really feed on werewolves- he came down to meet us. "I'm impressed that you found a Moth Priest so quickly," he said gruffly.

I rolled my eyes. "Well, you were _such_ a big help; we were bound to find him in no time. Is he ready to read?"

"Have the vampire give him the Elder Scroll and yeah, he's ready. Just let him know." Isran stalked away before I could say anything else, and I allowed myself a small, smug smile for stinging his pride like I had.

The Moth Priest was in one of the sleeping rooms. He looked up as we approached and smiled kindly. "Ah, my rescuer! It's good to see you again."

"Have the Dawnguard made you feel comfortable?" I asked, doubting that they had with every fiber of my being.

Dexion hesitated. "It's not exactly the hospitality that I'm used to, but once your leader was assured I had not been turned, he saw to my needs well enough." He looked around, studying the room. "I must admit, this is a remarkable fortress. I have colleagues back in Cyrodiil that would love to study this place."

"I wouldn't suggest you bring them here," I told him dryly. "Visitors make the old Redguard jumpy. Are you ready to read?"

"Most certainly!" he said eagerly, rising to his feet. "I would be happy to learn what secrets the scroll can tell." His face fell slightly when he didn't see the scroll. "Where is it, exactly?"

"Here," Serana said from behind me, making me jump. I looked back to see her carrying the heavy thing. When she had slipped away to get it, I had no idea.

Isran and a few more of the Dawnguard had followed her into the room. Dexion took the scroll and frowned at them disapprovingly. "Quiet, please. I must concentrate."

He opened the scroll slowly, and the thing began to glow gold, as well as his eyes. "I see a vision before me, an image of a great bow. I know this weapon! It is Auriel's Bow!"

He paused. "Now a voice whispers, saying, 'Among the night's children, a dread lord will rise. In an age of strife, when dragons return to the realm of men, darkness will mingle with light and the night and day will be as one.'"

He appeared uneasy, but continued. "The voice fades and the words begin to shimmer and distort. But wait, there's more here. The secret of the bow's power is written elsewhere. I think there is more to the prophecy, recorded in other scrolls. Yes, I see them now... One contains the ancient secrets of the dragons, and the other speaks of the potency of ancient blood."

With that, he closed the scroll and shut his eyes. "My vision darkens, and I see no more. To know the complete prophecy, we must have the other two scrolls."

He handed the scroll to Serana, eyes still firmly shut. "I must rest now. The reading has made me weary."

Isran appeared at his side, hand on his shoulder. "Come on, old man. You should sleep."


	8. Chapter 8

When the crowd finally dispersed, leaving Serana and I alone, she spoke. "Do you have a moment to talk?"

I sat on one of the cots, contemplating a nap. "What's on your mind?"

"That Moth Priest said we needed two other scrolls, right?" I nodded. "I think I know where we can start looking."

Not really wanting to admit it, I scratched my neck and said, "I know of the other one, regarding the dragons."

She blinked at me. "You have an Elder Scroll? Where is it?"

I blew out a breath. "It may or not be in my house in Whiterun."

Now she stared at me, at a loss for words. "Why... is there an Elder Scroll in your house in Whiterun?"

I raised my hands in a placating gesture. "It's a long story." I paused, and amended, "A really long story, and I'll tell you when we get there. But what about your scroll?"

Her mouth opened and closed a few times before she said, "We need to find my mother, Valerica. She'll know where it is, and if we're lucky, she'll even have it herself."

"I thought you said you didn't know where she was," I said, frowning. "Back in the crypt."

"Before she locked me in the crypt, she said that she'd go somewhere safe. Somewhere my father would never look. Other than that, she wouldn't tell me anything." She paused, her eyebrows knitting together. "The way she said it, 'someplace he'd never search.' It was cryptic, but she called attention to it."

I shrugged. "Sounds like she was trying to hint something to you."

"Any ideas?"

I chewed on the inside of my lip, thinking. "I doubt she'd be hiding with the Dawnguard. Sealed away with you?"

Serana shook her head. "I don't think so. She said she wanted to be awake in case things got better. One of us had to, and she was more powerful than me, so she was the one that stayed awake."

My eyes widened as I thought of something. "What about Castle Volkihar? Was there anywhere your father didn't go?"

She looked surprised. "That almost makes sense." She ignored my offended glare and continued. "I used to help her tend a garden in the courtyard. All our potions ingredients came from there. My father could never stand it. She said he thought it was too peaceful."

I whistled lowly. "That's pretty risky."

"Absolutely," she agreed. "But my mother isn't a coward. We probably won't actually trip over her, but it's worth a look."

I made a "heh" noise. "They aren't going to let us through the front door."

"True, but I know a way we can get in without arousing any suspicion." I swear her eyes gleamed with how excited she was to maybe find her mother. "There's an unused inlet on the north side of the island. The previous owners used it to bring supplies into the castle. There's an old escape tunnel that leads right to it. That might be our way in."

I forced a grin, fighting the urge to whine when I realized I wouldn't be able to sleep before we left. "Let's go, then." I rose, and followed her out of the fort.

From Riften, we took a carriage to Whiterun. The sun was out when we got there, but Serana kept her hood up and since I was the Thane of Whiterun, none of the guards glanced at her twice. I led her to Breezehome and shut the door behind us. "Lydia!" I yelled. "You here?"

There wasn't an answer, which suited me. "My housecarl isn't home," I told Serana, answering her questioning glance. "She's probably mooning after one of the Companions. The guards will tell her I'm back before too long, so be ready for that."

"Do you think she'll try to kill me?" Serana asked, voice thick with sarcasm and tinged with actual concern.

I snorted. "Not likely. My being a werewolf hasn't seemed to concern her. She's actually had to bail my ass out of trouble the few times I've changed when one of the moons was full in the middle of the city. If she gives you any trouble, let me know and I'll have a talk with her."

I sat on one of the chairs heavily, my breath rushing out in a grunt. Serana glanced at me, and her mouth twisted down. "You dozed all the way from Riften. We should have stayed long enough for you to get some rest."

She was dead right, but I wasn't going to tell _her_ that. "Nah," I said with a grin, waving my hand dismissively. "Werewolves don't need to sleep like humans." That was a damn lie, and the recent injury wasn't helping matters.

She glared at me. "I may be a vampire, but I have done some reading on werewolves. You actually need to sleep _more_ than humans, and you definitely haven't been."

"Reading on werewolves?" I quirked an eyebrow. "And how much of that was in the last week and a half?"

"A fair amount since you nearly died from that silver blade," she retorted. "You need to get some sleep."

I glanced up at the ceiling. "And leave Lydia to try and kill you while I'm in Vaermina's grasp? I'd rather not."

That answer didn't seem to make her happy. I suddenly found myself being pulled by the arm, by a woman at least three inches shorter than me, up the stairs. "Wow, I never thought I'd meet anyone so desperate to get me into bed," I said, voice flat.

Serana glanced at me, still annoyed, and I followed quietly. When we got to the room, she pushed me toward the bed and I flopped down. "But mo-ther," I whined, even going so far as to kick my feet childishly. "I don't want to go to bed."

She sat in the chair by the corner, book in hand, and tucked her leg up to read. "Go to sleep," she snapped, and studiously ignored me.

I laughed, threw my armor and boots in a pile by the closet, and curled up under the blankets. I fell asleep almost as soon as I relaxed.

 


	9. Chapter 9

My rest wasn't restful. I ran as a wolf, the slow-moving-fast-pace that made it feel like the ground was lengthening between me and whatever I was chasing. Or whatever I was trying to flee from. I rounded a corner, my legs skidding on gravel, and found myself stuck in place as Harkon, or whatever demon form he took, ascended a dais dragging Serana behind him by her hair. She scrabbled weakly at the stone, as people that I couldn't even make out began cheering. The demon lifted her up and I saw her face, amber eyes wide and fearful, as it lifted a claw to cut her throat.

The dream fell away as I rose from the bed with a jerk, my skin covered in sweat and my breathing harsh. A hand grasped mine and I jolted, eyes staring blindly in the dim room. They finally focused on a face, a familiar one, that filled me with agony from the dream and peace from the waking world. It was Serana. She was still alive.

I swallowed thickly, trying to slow my breathing. The gentle hand now stroking my arm helped immensely. "What time is it?" I asked, still shaking.

"Almost midnight," she told me quietly. "Nightmares?"

I nodded sharply. "Bad ones. It's the worst part of being a werewolf."

She moved slowly, as to not startle me, and settled herself by my side. She pulled me back toward the bed, her hand continuing its motions in my hair. I heard her start to hum, the same one I had hummed before, and the gentle notes pulled me back into a dreamless sleep.

The next morning- or night, there weren't windows in my house- she wasn't there. Her scent was still strong, though, so I figured she hadn't been gone long. It at least gave me a moment to think. I hadn't had a dreamless sleep in all my life that I hadn't been drugged for, or suffering a serious fever. I knew it was neither of those, so what was it?

The sound of someone clearing their throat alerted me to another's presence. Lydia stood in the doorway, her arms crossed and her usual frown a little more present today. "My Thane," she said respectfully. "Welcome home."

I nodded my head in greeting. "It isn't for long. I have more to do before I'll be back for anything more than a short visit."

"Of course."

I huffed out an annoyed breath. "What is it?"

"The vampire in your bed last night is somewhat concerning to me, my Thane," she replied, tone respectfully tactful- and full of disapproval.

I glared at her. "Her name is Serana, she is an ally, and she has full rights to be in this house." At Lydia's continued look, I rolled my eyes. "I haven't been enthralled, it doesn't work on werewolves. It's kind of complicated."

"It isn't my place to judge, my Thane," the housecarl said calmly. "Will I be required on this errand of yours?"

I thought about that for a moment- the extra sword would be helpful- but shook my head. "We're facing some pretty dangerous enemies. I'd feel better if you didn't get killed in the fray."

"It's my duty to keep you safe," she reminded me. "I can't do that from Breezehome."

I smiled a little at that. "You've helped plenty by keeping the people of Whiterun from finding out that their Thane chases her own tail for fun. Or even has a tail. Your presence here when I leave helps that. I'll be fine, Serana has my back."

The mention of the woman's name hardened Lydia's eyes, but she nodded. "By your leave, my Thane."

I waved her away. When she left, I reached for the quiver that had been left with my bag for me. My bow was likely hung up in the hallway. I was running a little short on arrows, and now seemed like the best time to go and stock up on more.

There was a washbasin waiting on the table in the corner. I bathed as well as I could before dressing in something more respectable than my armor. It would have been even better to go in a dress, but there were some lines I was not willing to cross, and an outfit with airflow where there shouldn't be was one of them. There was still no sign of Serana, so I tied my coin purse to my belt and set off for Warmaidens.

Adrienne wasn't out front, which worked for me. The Imperial woman hadn't been my biggest fan since I had corrected her on a piece of armor she had been making for the Jarl. She hadn't followed my advice, of course, and the metal had bent where it shouldn't have and injured Balgruuf. It was her father's role as advisor to the proud Jarl that had left her with her job and shop still intact, but according to the rumors around town, she still complained that I had done something to the armor when she wasn't looking every time she got drunk.

"Hail, Thane," the big Nord greeted when I entered the shop. "It's been a long time since we saw you in here. Who was that woman you were with?"

He winked suggestively and I scoffed. "I thought old women were supposed to be the town gossip, but I see that respectable warriors have joined in too. Go on, what have you heard?"

"I'm not telling. A respectable warrior doesn't gossip." He laughed. "What can I get you, Wolf-eyes?"

He didn't actually know about the lycanthropy, of course. The nickname came from the addition I had asked to be added to some shield that I never actually used. He thought it was funny, and occasionally I did too. "I'll never live that one down, will I?" I snorted. "I'm looking for arrows. Something better than steel."

He hauled a quiver up from under the counter and dropped it in front of me. "How about glass?"

I eyed the greenish metal appreciatively. "Very nice. How much are you charging?"

"Fifty arrows for 150 septims."

My eyebrows shot up when I heard the price. "Aren't they worth at least twice that?"

"The milk-drinkers at the Drunken Huntsman might not remember the dragon you saved us from, but I do. You look like seven miles of bad road and since you’re buying more arrows, I'm guessing the road ain't finished." He pushed them toward me. "If these save your life, I'll be proud to say you bought them from me."

I handed over the gold, grinning. "Don't tell your wife you sold arrows that might save my hide. She'll have yours."

"You paid coin, she can't complain." He grabbed a sword and started polishing it. "Need anything else?"

"Nope. I'll see you later Warbear." I left the shop with a smile on my face and a quiver of arrows across my back.

Serana was sitting in a chair by the fire when I returned, but Lydia was the one missing. I set the arrows down on a table. "You didn't eat my housecarl, did you?" I asked her teasingly.

"If she wasn't working for you, I might have," Serana said, not looking up from the book.

I sat in the chair nearby. "Suspicious, eh? She won't do anything about it, at least. She has her honor. Have you eaten anything at all?"

"I mixed up a blood potion with your alchemy ingredients. It works in a pinch, since I'm not stupid enough to try and feed in this city."

I craned my neck to try and see what book she had. "What are you reading?"

"The Ransom of Zarek." She set the book down. "We can't stay here too long. You said the Elder Scroll is here?"

I nodded. "We'll leave at nightfall. I just needed to get some rest-" I leveled a grateful look at her. "-and some arrows. I have both, and I'll get the Elder Scroll in a minute."

I stood and crossed to the storage room, and then waved her over. The scroll was hidden under a pile of boxes, in a Dwemer chest, which was locked with one of the best I could afford. I unlocked it and leaned back so she could see.

"And where did you find this?" she asked.

"About that." I laughed nervously. "What would be your reaction if I told you I was the Dragonborn?"

Her response was immediate. "I'd check if you were ill and delirious from fever."

"Hey!" I snapped half-heartedly. "Werewolves don't get sick unless silver is involved." More seriously I added, "Well, I am. That's how I got to be Thane here. A dragon was attacking, I killed it and took its soul, and the townsfolk were so grateful they made me into a political figure." My mouth twisted in a scowl. "Then the Greybeards summoned me, and this scroll is apparently the key to defeating Alduin."

"Alduin. The World-Eater." She put a hand to my forehead. "Really, are you feeling okay?"

I stood, letting the chest shut and the lock click back into place. "I can prove it to you, if you want." I stepped out into the more open main room and handed her a dagger. "Just hold that."

"I'm waiting."

I stepped back, drew in a breath, and felt the dragon's soul flare to life. "Zun haal viik!"

The Shout boomed through the air, and tore the dagger from her hand, leaving everything else untouched. I rubbed the skin just below the hollow of my throat, as the sudden emptiness there ached. "I told you so."

"You certainly did," she said, staring at her hand. "So why do you have the scroll?"

"According to the leader of the Greybeards, if I read the scroll at a tear in time, I'll learn a shout I need to kill Alduin." I scowled. "That was before I got caught up with Isran, and since then, I've been a bit distracted."

"Distracted from the end of the world?" she asked skeptically.

"By the end of the world," I reminded her. "The dragons can't destroy the world quite as quickly as your father could if the sun no longer opposed him."

"That's true," she allowed. "Is there anything else I should know about?"

I thought about that for a moment, mostly to see her expression. "No, that's it. Shall we go?"

 


	10. Chapter 10

The carriage rides were starting to grate on my nerves, mostly because I could have run faster. But I wasn't leaving Serana behind.

That thought opened the floodgate for a whole bunch of other ones, most prominently the night in Breezehome. I brought it up to her during one of the quiet moments where neither of us were speaking.

She shrugged. "You were upset, and I was worried.  You did the same for me at the camp."

"My pack-mate was hurting, of course I tried to help." I winced when I said that. The beast-blood was gaining more influence as Masser got fuller.

She noticed, and her eyebrows drew together. "Is that Elayn talking, or the wolf?"

"Both," I said, refusing to lie to her. "I know I'm probably just a mongrel to you, but you've fought at my side. Hell, you even kept me from dying when I got sick. In my world, that makes you part of my pack, and I take care of my own."

Serana shook her head sharply. "You're not just a mongrel to me. Damn it Elayn, you know what my life has been like. If I didn't care, why would I..." She looked down.

I smiled a little. "I swear, when it comes to figuring out this stuff, vampires are just like humans." I grabbed her hand, and squeezed it gently. "We both care, that much I know. And I'll fight to the death to keep you safe. No matter how this ends."

It was a small motion, but she squeezed my hand back and I grinned. "I'm going to get some rest, if you don't mind. It's easier to sleep around you."

"You sleep better around a vampire?" she asked.

I dropped onto the floor and crossed my arms behind my head, eyes shut. "I trust you."

The only sound was the horses and the cart moving over bumpy road.

From Solitude, we retraced our steps to the shore where the boat was tied to the dock. It hadn't been disturbed, which was somewhat surprising to me. "I guess they didn't think it mattered anymore?"

"They probably forgot it even existed." She settled into the boat and grabbed the oars. "I'll guide us to the inlet, and away from the gargoyles."

I did the same, shifting the boat a little more than she had. "Oh great, more of those nightmares. My lucky day."

She rolled her eyes, and started rowing. Last time we had done this, it had been a subconscious challenge for one of us to row faster than the other, but the glint in her eyes as they met mine told me that it wasn't subconscious anymore. I grinned challengingly and picked up the pace, letting my beast-blood ease the burn in my muscles and let me row faster. It was a close competition- one that I lost because if I didn't stop relying on my beast she was going to come to the forefront- but it definitely got us there in record time.

Her eyes were tinged red when I looked again, both of us standing on the shore. "Are you going to be okay?"

"There should be thralls in the lower parts of the castle," she said, voice rough. "I'll be fine until then."

That was worrying, but the look on her face told me not to push it. I readied my bow, along with three arrows in the same hand. They came in handy nearly immediately when a skeleton rounded the corner. It barely had time to hiss before my arrow knocked its skull clean off its neck, and the thing collapsed in a heap.

A few more well-placed shots take care of the rest of the skeletons patrolling the dock. Inside the undercroft, my steps were halted by an awful stench. It was only a remnant, likely imperceptible to a human, but my nose was more keen and I definitely caught it.

"The old water cistern," she explained, seeing my face. "The smell could be a lot worse."

"I believe it," I told her.

There were corpses scattered around the undercroft, of death hounds and skeletons, and one twisted-looking vampire. The journal pages she had stuffed in her ragged clothing told me that she had been trying to tame the death hounds herself, and use them to defend herself. From the looks of things, she had not succeeded.

Serana pointed out a lever above a table filled with scattered books. "Pull this, and then take a left on the bridge. It's one of those weird double-barred security measures that my father put in when he got more paranoid. It leads out to the courtyard."

"Seriously? Double-barred? Dwarven ruins aren't even that bad!" I shook my head in disbelief. "Paranoia at its finest. Let's go."

The massive Frostbite spider down one of the tunnels was quite the shock, despite the webbing I saw along the way. Mostly it was the size of the thing that startled me. I froze entirely, and Serana had to throw me backwards so that she could kill it. I landed heavily on my rear, and immediately got hit with a stray web the damn thing was aiming at Serana with. The spider was dead when I finally ripped off the last scrap of it and ran to the vampire, who was breathing heavily.

I reached a hand toward her, but jerked back when her head snapped up. Her eyes were no longer amber; they were a bloody orange that burned so hot I could almost feel the flames licking at my skin. Her face, normally somewhat more angular than a typical nord, was now almost skeletal. She bared her fangs in a snarl at me, and I backed away slowly.

"Serana," I said carefully, hands held up. "Wolf, remember? I smell like wet dog. Don't eat the wet dog."

Her eyes were wild, and for a moment I doubted I got through to her. Both hands were ablaze with blue and red magicka that sparked threateningly. Just as she seemed about to leap at me, a tremor ran through her. She sniffed the air almost like I had a habit of doing, but more feral. Whatever she smelled caused her to run back toward the cistern with superhuman speed.

I followed slowly, wary that she might jump out at the shadows. My beast clawed at me from within, begging me to let her loose, let her keep us safe from the not-Serana that could rip my throat out easily as long as I was still human. I fought her down as best as I could, and continued on.

The vampire was crouched in the midst of a pile of bodies, some torn and some whole. Viscera and bone peaked through torn skin like some macabre sculpture. There at the top, she tore into a corpse that, while faint, still had a heartbeat. Only a moment longer, which seemed to me a mercy. I heard the slick, sloshing sound of blood being drained from the still-warm corpse slowly stop, and it was silent.

"Serana?" I repeated, voice echoing off the walls.

Her reply was faint, but I heard it. "Leave me alone."

"No."

I came to stand by the pile, facing her. She was a mess, blood smeared around her mouth and gore spattering her armor. Her eyes were once again amber, but they were so filled with pain that I almost wished for the wildness. That I at least knew what to deal with. "Leave me," she said, desperation creeping into her tone.

"No," I repeated, softer now, and stretched my arm out toward her, palm facing up.

She slumped, still atop the pile of bodies. "Why are you helping me?" she asked through gritted teeth, desperation now despair. "I could have killed you."

"No."

"Is that all you can say?" Though her voice was bitter, she took my outstretched hand and stepped down.

I looked at the armor, and watched in wonder as the blood seemed to absorb into the metal and leather and cloth . It seemed vampires weren't fans of prolonged clean-ups after a bloodbath. I tore a piece of cloth from the rags of the feral vampire that lay at our feet and used it to wipe the blood from her mouth. Neither of us spoke, as  if waiting for the other to start.

"There," I murmured, as the last stain of crimson was removed. "You look better now."

"Why?" she asked again, her voice small.

I quirked a smile, just a small one. "Pack. You wouldn't hurt me, and I won't leave you behind."

"I could have-"

"Shh," I said, cupping the side of her face in my hand. "You had the time to tear my throat out when the spiderweb still held me, but you didn't. You found the thrall, and now you're fine. That's all that matters to me. Are you fit to move on?"

Serana stared at me, and nodded slowly. "The garden should be past the bridge. There was a lever that the spider was guarding. It will lead us there."

 


	11. Chapter 11

Serana was quiet, almost brooding, until we got to the courtyard. The door opened, and she let out a quiet gasp. "Oh no..."

She stepped further in, letting me shift by, and my eyes widened. What had clearly once been a paradise was now broken, overgrown, and ugly."What happened here?"

Normally near-silent footsteps seemed to echo throughout the garden as we walked around, surveying the damage. A large sun-dial-looking contraption stood in the very center. She pointed up a series of steps that led to a large door blocked off by stone that was also rather large. "This used to be the way into the great hall. It looks like my father had it sealed up."

Her tone became wistful as her hand brushed a now-dead plant that I couldn't identify. "I used to walk through here after evening meals. It was beautiful, once. It..." She paused as her voice threatened to break. "Do you know how beautiful something can be when it's tended by a master for centuries? She would have hated to see it like this..."

I stepped to the side as she continued her walk, but she halted a moment later, frowning. "Look at the moondial. Some of the crests are missing, and the dial is turned. I didn't even know the crests could be removed."

I stepped forward to examine it. It was indeed missing a half-moon, crescent-moon, and full-moon crests. "Maybe she's trying to tell us something? What was so special about it?"

"Well, as far as I'm aware, it's the only one in existence. Heh," she said, a slight smile on her face. "It was left from the previous owners as a sundial. She persuaded an elven artisan to make some improvements. The plates show both moons, Masser and Secunda."

I blinked. That would be exceedingly helpful for me except... "Does it even work?"

She shook her head quickly. "That's the thing, what's the point of a moon-dial? But she never ripped it out. I'd guess it was like having a piece of art, if you were a fan of that."

Glimmering moonstone and ebony had caught my eye while investigating, but I had figured that looting her mother's sanctuary might have been in poor taste and left it alone. Now I retraced my steps and fished them out of the weeds and rubble. My arms full, I trotted back to Serana.

"I found them," I told her, grinning.

She placed the crests back where they went, and we both jumped back as the sundial reshaped itself to reveal steps underneath. "What is with vampires and floors that drop to make stairs?" I groused, having been startled by the suddenly moving ground.

Serana rolled her eyes. "You have to admit it's clever." She stepped down toward the entrance. "I've never been in these tunnels before, but they look like they run under the courtyard and into the tower."

I shrugged. "At least we're getting closer. Let's go."

A hand on my arm stopped me before I got to close, and my head turned to see Serana's eyes glowing in the darkness. "Be careful. I haven't been to this part of the castle before, and I don't know what might be in there."

I laughed. "Nothing I can't handle."

A lever made the "door" in front of us slide to the side. It looked like it was a hidden wall, and it led to a kitchen that had been drenched in blood. "Was she trying to paint?" I asked, trying not to breathe too deeply.

I got an annoyed glance, but no response, which was just as well because a group of skeletons sitting at the table suddenly rose and advanced on us. To make matters worse, three gargoyles erupted from the stone and growled menacingly. We dispatched them, but not easily.

I roared and threw my bow against the ground. "Damn it, I can't fight like this. One of us is going to get hurt and we can't deal with that right now."

"What if you changed?" she asked, almost hesitantly. "I'll carry your bag, and you can fight."

"Maybe..." I shook my head with a grunt. "She seems like she likes you anyway. It's worth a try."

I set my armor and such aside, and reached to my beast-blood again. The change was even easier this time, helped by the state of the moon and my beast's willingness to fight. I rather hoped she was equally willing to back off again too, when I needed to be human again. It was over fast, and I rose to my full height with a low growl.

Serana picked up my bag and met my gaze levelly. "Let's go." I nodded once, and followed after.

The next gargoyle we met was easy. The next group of skeletons we met were pitiful. I ripped through stone skin like it was paper, and shattered bones scattered throughout the rooms. Serana handled traps and pull-chains, and we made it to a room that looked much less decrepit in no time.

I shifted back. My wolf, pleased with the excursion, allowed me to push her away, until I could once again speak in more than just growls. I rolled my shoulders and dressed swiftly, grinning happily. "That was fun."

She raised an eyebrow, but smiled, amused. "You definitely seemed like you were enjoying yourself." Her attention turned toward the rather large room. An alchemy table, books, and supplies were scattered throughout the higher portion, while steps led down to a ring of shattered stone set in the floor below.

"Look at this place," she said, awed. "This has to be it. I knew she was deep in to necromancy, she taught me everything I know, but I had no idea she had something like this. She must have spent years collecting these components." She looked down at the ring. "What's this thing?"

"It's got to be something," I told her.

She started looking through the bookshelves. "There has to be something here that tells us where she's gone."

I searched through a nearby bookshelf, and found a book with no name on it. Only a strange sigil. I brought it to her. "Is this what you're looking for?"

She snatched it from me, eagerly flipping through the notes. "This... it talks about the Soul Cairn. Strange."

"What's a Soul Cairn?"

"I only know what she told me." She turned another page. "She had a theory about soul gems, that the souls inside don't just vanish when they're used. They end up in the Soul Cairn. She spent a lot of time trying to travel there herself."

"I wonder why..." I glanced at the circle. "If she made it there, we'll find her. Do you think that has anything to do with it?"

Serana settled on a page. "It's definitely a portal of some kind. This says there's a formula that should give us safe passage into the Soul Cairn."

"What do we need?"

"A handful of soul gem shards, finely ground bone-meal, a bowl of purified void salts, and... Damn it."

I moved to look over her shoulder. "What is it?"

"It says we need a sample of her blood." She slammed the book shut, scowling. "If we could get that, we wouldn't be trying to do this in the first place."

"You share her blood, don't you?" I was slightly worried about what that answer might be. I knew little of how the family had become vampire lords.

The impressed look I got assuaged the worry, but came with a flash of offense. "Not bad. I hope it's enough. Mistakes with necromancy like this can be... gruesome."

I rolled my eyes and went to look for the ingredients. While I wasn't a renowned alchemist, I knew what the ingredients looked like. I found them in bowls around the lab, and brought them to her. "Is this it?"

She nodded. "Let's try this. Put them in the bowl." I did, and she inhaled slowly. "Are you ready? I'm not sure what's going to happen when I add my blood."

"Can I ask you something first?" I blurted out.

"Of course." She set down the knife. "What is it?"

"What will you do if you find your mother?"

She hesitated, her eyebrows pulling together. "I've been asking myself that since we came back. She was so sure of what she did to her father, I couldn't help but go along with her." She sighed. "I never thought of the cost."

"That sounds selfish," I said harshly.

"She wasn't always..." Serana shook her head. "But I think you're right. She was practically smirking when we left, like she was proud of herself. Like it wasn't just stopping my father, but she was spiting him too."

That sounded exactly what it was, but I didn't say that. "We won't know until we find her."

She smiled slightly. "You're right. Thank you. Are we ready?"

"Let's go," I said, eyeing the portal with mistrust.

She cut her palm, and held it over the bowl to let the blood drip down. The portal erupted to life with purple flame, the stone forming a bridge to where we stood. "Ancestors’ blood," she breathed, wide-eyed. "She actually did it, made a portal to the Soul Cairn. Incredible."

I stepped down toward the portal, but howled in pain when the fire ripped through me, and threw me back. I landed heavily, panting. "What in Oblivion was that?"

She winced. "That looked painful. I'm sorry, I should have expected that. The Soul Cairn is... hungry, for lack of a better word. It's trying to take your life essence as payment."

I shoved myself to my feet, glaring at the swirling purple. "So there's no way in."

"There is, but you won't like it." I glanced at her, and she didn't look happy. "Vampires aren't counted among the living. I could go through there with no problem."

"I'd need to become a vampire?" I really hoped she didn't mistake the dislike on my face for disgust. No problem with vampires, but I really didn't want to be one.

"Not your first choice, I know. There might be another way." She hesitated, and somehow I got the impression I'd like this idea even less. "We could just 'pay the toll' by giving it a soul. Yours."

I knew very little about enchanting, but... "Wouldn't that kill me?"

Serana smirked. "My mother taught me a trick or two. I could partially soul trap you, and offer the gem to the Ideal Masters. It might be enough to satisfy them." Her face fell back to reticent. "It would make you a bit weaker as we travel through the Soul Cairn, but we could probably fix that once we're inside. My mother would probably know."

"And those are my only options?"

"I'm sorry." She really did look like it. "I wish I knew a better way, something that would be easier. But, whatever path you choose, I won't think any less of you. Sometimes things just have to be done. I know that better than most people."

I folded my arms, staring at the stone of the platform the bowl stood upon. "How did you become a vampire?" I asked after a long moment of silence.

"That's... a long story."

My gaze turned toward her. "I want to hear it."

She blew out a breath. "We kind of have to go back a long way. Do you know where vampirism came from?"

"Molag Bal," I said, in a low growl. I wholeheartedly disliked that particular Prince.

"Right. And she wasn't a willing subject." I guessed as much. "But she was the first. Molag Bal is a powerful Daedric Prince, and his will is made reality. For those willing to subjugate themselves to him, he'll still bestow the gift, but they have to be already powerful to earn it."

My jaw clenched. "I'll not ask how you came to possess that 'gift', then. How did it affect your family?"

"Well, you've met most of us." She shrugged. "My father isn't exactly the most stable, and he drove my mother crazy with him. And I ended up being locked in a tomb for Oblivion knows how long. It's definitely been a bad thing, on the whole."

I frowned at her. "Would you ever consider finding a cure?"

I had asked her something similar before, and she told me that it was a gift. I hadn't argued, I felt the same way about being a werewolf. But what I was brought me nothing but joy. The thrill of the chase, and the exhilaration of a clean kill. All her "gift" had brought her was sadness, and pain. I didn't want that for her.

After a long pause, she looked at the Soul Cairn. "Well? What do you want me to do?"

"Soul trap me," I told her.

She readied the spell, but hesitated. "I know this is difficult for you. I hope you trust that I'd never do anything to hurt you."

I bowed my head. "I trust you completely. Go ahead."

The spell hit me, and ripped through me. It didn't touch my skin, my flesh, bone, or anything else. I felt a chill as I heard a pained howl, and when I could move, I staggered.

"Are you okay?" she asked, worried.

There was a sinking feeling in my gut that told me I wasn't, but I smiled at her all the same. "Well enough. Let's go."

 


	12. Chapter 12

Stepping through the portal was not unlike stepping into a pool of cold Dwarven oil, something I had done before, and I wasn't happy to be repeating the experience. When I could see again, I gasped. The Soul Cairn was not a hospitable place. Dead trees and bushes dotted the landscape, interspersed by cracks in the earth that glowed with the same fell energy as the portal. Lightning flashed as it struck the ground more times in a minute than I usually saw in a year, and thunder rumbled through the realm like a rolling dirge. Looking up, I saw clouds swirling around a black void, that seemed as empty and endless as a starless night. A single moon hung low in the sky, though the glow was not familiar. It was cold, and though it shone dimly, it seemed somehow dark.

"This is an empty place," I said, voice low.

"I'd heard stories about it," Serana said beside me. "It's about what I imagined."

We continued walking, and the impression that something was deeply wrong stuck with me. It was only when I sniffed the air and smelled _nothing_ that I realized what had happened. I swallowed hard, my mouth suddenly dry with an unknown fear. My wolf had been trapped with the gem.

The distorted landscape seemed even more twisted to me now, more terrifying. I had my bow, but as evidenced in the castle, that wasn't enough. I couldn't change shape, or call on my beast for assistance. I was... alone.

Dimly, I realized I had stopped walking. Serana turned around to look at me. "Are you alright?"

My mouth moved, but words didn't come out. My face, drained of blood, startled her. "What's wrong?" she demanded.

"My wolf," I croaked, my breath coming out in short gasps. "I can't feel her. She's gone."

She was rendered speechless. That made sense. To lose your other half hurt beyond anything I had ever felt, but I didn't know if she had any idea what that was like, and right now, I didn't care. I wanted to run, hide, and cower like the prey animal I was now that my wolf had been torn away, trapped, and sold like a pelt shorn from a fresh-kill. I felt exposed, like thousands of eyes were watching me and plotting my brutal death while I could do nothing but fight the terror that threatened to bubble up from my throat as a scream.

"Elayn!" Serana snapped, jerking me out of my downward spiral. Her golden eyes blazed as they met mine. Were mine still the same silver I had known all my life? That my mother and father had both held? My pack?

She said my name again, and I physically jolted. "What?" I demanded, my voice higher than I ever remembered it being. "What do you want?"

"Stop thinking like prey." The accusation forced indignation to the forefront of my brain, an emotion I was used to. Something that was mind-numbing fear...

No. I couldn't think like that. Serana needed me, needed me to be strong, and to keep her strong. Find her mother, find the scroll, and stop Harkon before he could secure the destruction of mortal kind. That was what was important. I could still fight, had done so in human form before and I had survived that.  

This wasn't going to be the thing that killed me. Not today.

I drew in a ragged breath and released it, calming my heart in a similar way to when I would try to hold back my beast. It helped, somewhat, and I was able to focus. "Sorry," I said, almost like normal. "The soul trap, it must have taken her. I've... I've never been alone like this."

Serana reached forward and gripped my hand in hers. "You're not alone," she said, like she was willing me to believe it.

And I did.

I nodded, shifting my hand to grip hers. "We need to find Valerica. Let's hurry."

She didn't insult me by checking on me every three minutes, but I caught her glancing at me, like I was some sort of child that could break at any moment. It hurt, that something like that was a possibility, but that possibility kept me going. I would not break, even if it meant my life.

Ghosts wandered through the barren ground, seeming both aimless and committed. From what some of them were saying, I determined that many were reliving their final moments. That saddened me, but they left us alone.

Skeletons, with bones of congealed shadow, attacked us periodically. Serana kept them back, her necromancy a powerful ally in this, while I did what I could with my bow and arrows. The far-off castle, topped by spires that broke off towards the top, got closer and closer until we reached the doors. There a woman stood, a vampire bearing close resemblance to the one next to me.

"Mother!" Serana called, running to her. She stopped short, an invisible barrier blocking her path.

"Serana?" The woman seemed to be the more astonished one. "It can't be."

"Is it really you? I can't believe it!" She was smiling widely, ecstatic, for once looking as young as she was. "How did you get inside? We have to talk."

Valerica was less thrilled. "Serana, what are you doing here? Where is your father?"

"He doesn't know we're here," she said hurriedly. "I don't have time to explain."

Valerica's face fell. "I must have failed. Harkon has found a way to decipher the prophecy, hasn't he?"

"No, you've got it all wrong!" She shook her head to accentuate the point. "We're here to complete the prophecy our way, not his."

Serana's repeated use of "we" seemed to finally register with her mother. "Wait a moment, you've brought a stranger here? Have you lost your mind?"

"No, you don't-"

"You," Valerica interrupted, looking to me furiously. "Come forward. I would speak with you."

I stepped up to the barrier, my arms crossed, and eyeing her with as much respect as I currently had for this woman: very little.

"So," she sneered. "How has it come to pass that my daughter is in the company of a vampire hunter? It pains me to think you'd travel with her under the guise of her protector in an effort to hunt me down."

I curled my lip. "My only business with you is to help Serana find you. I've been keeping her safe."

"Safe?" She laughed scornfully. "You call bringing her here safe? Has she explained anything to you? Serana has sacrificed everything to prevent Harkon from completing the prophecy. I would have expected her to explain that to you."

I growled low in my throat. "You mean _you_ sacrificed, and _you_ sacrificed _her_ to prevent Harkon from completing the prophecy. We're here for the Elder Scroll, to stop him."

Her eyes glowed with outrage. "You think I'd have the audacity to place my own daughter in the tomb for the protection of her Elder Scroll alone? The scroll is merely a means to an end. The key to the Tyranny of the Sun is Serana herself."

That stopped me. "What do you mean?"

"When I fled Castle Volkihar, I fled with two Elder Scrolls," she explained, as if irritated to be doing it. "The scroll Serana had speaks of Auriel and his arcane weapon. The second scroll declares that "The blood of Coldharbour’s Daughter will blind the eye of the dragon."

"And where does Serana fit in?" I had a guess, but I was hoping desperately that I was wrong.

"Like myself, Serana was once human. We were devout followers of Lord Molag Bal." Her lip curled again, but not at me. "Tradition dictates the females be offered to Molag Bal on his summoning day. Few survive the ordeal, and those that do emerge as pure-blooded vampires. We call such beings the 'Daughters of Coldharbour'."

That was somewhat more information than I really ever needed or wanted. "The Tyranny of the Sun requires her blood, then."

She nodded slowly. "Now you're beginning to understand why I wanted to protect Serana, why I kept the other Elder Scrolls as far from her as possible. If her father obtained Auriel's Bow, and used her blood to taint the weapon, the Tyranny of the Sun would be complete. In his eyes, she'd be dying for the good of all vampires."

"Then Harkon means to kill her." I growled again. "I will not let that happen."

"And how exactly do you plan to complete the prophecy without the death of my daughter?" she asked haughtily.

"I'll kill Harkon." I meant that too, no matter how powerful he was.

She scowled. "If you believe that, you're a bigger fool than I suspected. Don't you think I weighed that option before I enacted my plans?"

"And Serana's opinion on this?" I asked abruptly. "How does she feel about being used by her parents, do you think?"

She lifted her chin. "You're a vampire hunter at heart. You're here because we're abominations, evil creatures that need to be destroyed."

"You know nothing of me or what I do," I snarled. "Serana believes in me. Why won't you?"

Valerica turned her attention back to her daughter, effectively ignoring me. "This stranger allies herself with those would would hunt you down and slay you like an animal, yet I should entrust you to her?"

"This 'stranger' has done more for me in the brief time I've known her than you've done in centuries!" Serana snapped.

"How dare you!" she shrieked, outraged. "I gave up everything I care about to protect you from that _fanatic_ you call a father!"

"He may be a fanatic, he may have changed, but he's still my father," she yelled. "Why can't you understand how that makes me feel?"

"Oh, Serana, if you'd only open your eyes!" Her tone became cajoling. "The moment your father discovers your role in the prophecy, discovers that he needs your blood, you will be in terrible danger."

"So to protect me, you shut me away from everything I cared about?" Serana demanded. "You never asked me if hiding in that tomb was the best course of action, you just expected me to follow you blindly. Both of you were obsessed with your own paths. You might have had a better motivation, but in the end, I'm just a pawn to you, too. I want us to be a family again, but I don't know if that can ever happen."

Her voice lowered. "Maybe we don't deserve that happiness. Maybe it isn't for us. But we have to stop him, before he goes too far, and for that, we need the Elder Scroll."

Her mother looked stricken, and ashamed. "I'm sorry, Serana. I didn't know. I didn't see. I've allowed my hatred of your father to estrange us for too long. Forgive me." She lowered her head. "If you want the Elder Scroll, it's yours."

"Your intentions are still somewhat unclear to me," she said, speaking to me again. "But for Serana's sake, I'll assist you if I can."

"Were it not for my beast locked in a soul gem in this place, you and I would be having a discussion," I growled, still offended by her words. "But as it stands, I'll settle for keeping her safe."

I saw recognition and understanding dawn on her. "You're a werewolf? Then why do you ally yourself with vampire hunters?"

I snorted. "Because vampires tend to be the only prey that gives me a real fight, short of attacking giants. There was a feral group near Riften that I helped Isran destroy. I planned on leaving before events occurred, and I met Serana."

"I..." She paused. "I believe you will keep her safe. I can see it in your eyes. Forgive me. I would have noticed sooner, but your eyes are green, not silver."

The reminder of what I no longer was sat ill with me, but I nodded in acceptance of the apology. "Where is the Elder Scroll?"

"I've kept it safely secured since I was imprisoned," she said. "Unfortunately since I am locked in here, I cannot reach it right now."

"Then how do we get you out of there?"

She pointed out in the distance. "The tallest of the spires use the energy from the exiled souls to keep this barrier active. Destroy the keepers that are tending to them, and it should bring the barrier down."

"We'll be back soon," I said, turning to leave.

"Wait." I looked back. "There's a dragon that calls itself Durnehviir roaming the Cairn. Be wary of him. The Ideal Masters have him overseeing the Keepers, and he will undoubtedly intervene if he sees you as a threat. Be careful... And keep my daughter safe."

"Let's go," Serana said firmly, and we set off.

The Keepers were somewhat more difficult than the bonemen, but where there were many of those, we only fought one Keeper at a time. They were dead before long, and we returned to Valerica. She was standing outside the barrier, waiting.

"You managed to destroy all three Keepers? Impressive." She really did look impressed, though she sounded condescending. I was beginning to wonder if that was just her voice.

"Can you give us the scroll now?" I asked.

"Yes. Please, follow me, and watch out for Durnehviir. With the barrier down, he is likely to investigate."

She led  us to a courtyard, but halfway across, she stopped. "Wait," Serana said, looking around. "I hear something."

A moment later, I heard it, the roar of a dragon. "It's Durnehviir!" Valerica called. "Defend yourself!"

The roaring grew closer, until the thunder of dragonwings was directly overhead. He bellowed a challenge, to which I roared back, "Dinok wah hi, o viingaal prakem!"

That got his attention. His Thu'um rattled my very bones, as well as those of the undead that clawed their way out of the ground. Valerica and Serana handled those as the dragon landed, heavily, and began snapping at me. I grabbed a sword that lay on the ground and ran at him.

I did not escape unscathed, but he was worse off. I managed to clamber onto the back of his head and drive the steel sword into his skull. He roared once more, rearing up, before dropping to the ground limply. I leapt from him, dropping the sword in the process, and stood before the now burning dragon.

The usual gold light was absent, replaced by more purple flame. It devoured Durnehviir entirely, leaving nothing behind. Valerica moved to stand beside me, gaping. "Forgive my astonishment, but I never thought I'd witness the death of that dragon."

I winced. "He isn't dead. I didn't devour his soul. He'll reform, but when, I do not know."

"Then I suggest we don't wait around to find out. Come, let's get your Elder Scroll." She led us to an alcove across the courtyard, and to an ornate box. She unlocked it, and handed me the scroll.

"That's it," Serana said. "The last scroll. We should take it to Dexion."

"Before you go-" Valerica’s eyes flickered to me. "The matter of your soul. I assume my daughter applied some of my lessons in necromancy. I'm sure you'll be wanting that back."

That caught my attention. "Where is it?" I demanded.

"Your soul was trapped inside a gem, and given to the Ideal Masters as payment. You just need to retrieve the gem. The moment you touch it, your soul will be restored." She paused, thinking. "There's an offering altar not far from here. I'm willing to bet the gem you're looking for is there."

"You're staying here?"

"I have no choice." She sighed. "As I told you before, I am a Daughter of Coldharbour. If I return to Tamriel, the chances of Harkon bringing the Tyranny of the Sun to fruition increase twofold."

"We'll return for you when we can," I told her. "When this is taken care of."

The corners of her mouth turned up in amusement. "I appreciate your concern, but Serana is all I care about. Keep her safe, at all costs. Remember that Harkon cannot be trusted. No matter what he promises, he will deceive you to get what he wants. My daughter is all I have left. Please keep her safe. Farewell."

Serana and I walked away then. She sighed unhappily. "I'm glad we found the scroll, but... I wish we could bring her back with us."

"Once this is dealt with," I told her gently. "We'll come back."

Outside the courtyard, we immediately found the slain dragon waiting for us. "Stay your weapons," he said, resting his head on a rock. "I would speak with you, Qahnaarin."

I stepped forward. "I knew you would be back. I take it the Ideal Masters have your soul?"

"That they do," he rumbled. "Doomed to exist in this form for all eternity. Trapped between laas and dinok, between life and death."

I raised an eyebrow. "Why are we speaking, if the Ideal Masters command you?"

"I believe in civility between seasoned warriors," he said. "And I find your ear worthy of my words. My claws have rended the flesh from innumerable foes, but I have never once been felled on the battlefield." A noise like a growl, but softer, rumbled in his throat. "I therefore honor-name you as 'Qahnaarin,' or 'Vanquisher' in your tongue."

I bowed my head. "I found you equally worthy, kul do lok."

"You words do me great honor," he replied. "And I must admit I am surprised at your master of the dovahzul. My desire desire to speak with you was born of our battle, Qahnaarin. I merely wish to respectfully ask a favor of you."

"What kind of favor?" I asked carefully.

He exhaled through his nose, a rush of air that tousled my hair. "For countless years I've roamed the Soul Cairn, in unintended service to the Ideal Masters. Before this, I roamed the skies of Tamriel. I desire to return there."

"What keeps you from returning?"

"I fear that my time here has taken its toll on me," he explained. "I share a bond with this dreaded place. If I ventured too far from the Soul Cairn, my strength would begin to wane until I was no more."

Both my dragon soul and my heart ached to hear it. To be trapped under this desolate sky would pain me as well. "How could I help?"

"I will place my name with you, and grant you the right to call my name from Tamriel. Do me this simple honor, and I will fight at your side as Grah-Zeymahzin, your ally, and teach you my Thu'um."

"You can leave for a time if I call you?" He nodded. "I will happily call you to fight at my side, mighty dragon."

He said his name, and with it came an immediate _understanding_ of the dragon. His name meant he was cursed never to die, and all that entailed was ingrained into my mind. "I will call you when I have need of a powerful ally," I promised.

"Aal ven brud hi gut," he rumbled, before taking flight.

Serana stared after him, dumbfounded. "That was... very civil."

I chuckled. "Dragon shouts are, in their tongue, real words. A fight is really just a very heated debate." I watched him go, slightly sad. "They love to talk, to anyone they deem worthy. I fear he has not found anyone like that in a very long time."

"Then perhaps your summons will help," she said gently. "We should hurry and retrieve your soul."

The altar was nearby, and not terribly inconspicuous. We slayed the undead guarding it, and I looked for my soul. It was a black soul gem, that seemed to pulse with light to the same beat as my heart. I grabbed it, and gasped as I felt my beast return. It was similar to absorbing a dragons soul, but deeper. Part of me had returned.

I rolled my shoulders and flexed my hands, feeling the strength I had lost rush through me. Serana smiled. "Your eyes are silver again," she said, answering my questioning look.

"Let's get back to Fort Dawnguard," I said, revelling in the rasp and rumble of my beast-blood in my voice.

 


	13. Chapter 13

Back at the fort, we sought out Dexion as soon as we checked in with Isran. He greeted us with a nod in our direction, but remained sitting where he was. "I trust your journey was successful?"

"We found them," I said, setting the bag that contained them down gently. They were heavy, and weren't actually fragile, but it seemed respectful.

Dexion sighed and raised his head, and I saw the cloth tied around his eyes. "I'm sorry, my friend. I can no longer be of any help in this matter."

"How did you go blind?" I asked, more demanding in my shock than I should have been.

"It's my fault. In my haste to read the first scroll, I neglected the careful preparation required. I thought I'd be able to allay the effects, but I was wrong." He sighed again. "Now I'm paying for it."

I winced. It was unfair that he should pay such a price. "Is there anything that can be done?"

He shook his head. "It will have to run it's course, and there is always the chance I may never recover."

"Then we're finished," Serana said hollowly.

"No." The Priest's voice and word startled us both. "There is another way. The question is, how much are you willing to risk to find Auriel's Bow?"

Anything. "What do I need to do?"

The Priest hesitated. "I can't guarantee you'll be free from harm, and becoming blind may be the least of your worries..."

"I'll risk it," I said firmly. "Just tell me."

He reached blindly for a piece of parchment, and handed it to me. "Scattered across Tamriel are secluded locations known only as Ancestor Glades. There's one in Skyrim, in the Pine Forest. This map will lead you to it. Performing the Ritual of the Ancestor Moth within the glade should provide the answers you seek."

Seeking answers from insects? "Explain this 'ritual'."

"In keeping with tradition, you must use a specific tool in the Ancestor Glade, and implement known as a draw knife. Every Moth Priest is taught the ritual, but few ever get the chance to perform it." He smiled wistfully. "You should consider yourself fortunate, if it works for you, that is."

"Hm." I glanced at the bag. "Do I need to read the scrolls in a specific order?"

He nodded. "From what I saw in the vision, the Elder Scroll which foreshadows the defiance of the gods with the blood of mortals is the key to the prophecy."

"Thank you, Dexion," I said.

"Good luck in your endeavors."

The map led us to a glade, high in the mountains near Falkreath. Inside we found nothing but loose foliage and rocky crags. Serana was disappointed. "It's not very impressive. If this ends up being a wasted trip, your friend Dexion and I are going to have some words when we get back."

I stared at her. "You don't hear that?"

"Hear what?"

I shook my head and scrambled over some rocks. The cavern came into view, and the roaring of the waterfall got louder. A stream ran through the entirety of the cave, which echoed with the sounds of water and insects. This was truly a place of nature.

"Wow," Serana whispered, looking around. "Look at this place. No one's been in here for centuries. I don't think there's anywhere like this in Skyrim." She smiled. "It's beautiful."

I smirked, and walked toward the stone arch that held the knife. "'It's not very impressive'," I said, mocking her voice. "'This is a wasted trip'."

"Stop being so snide and grab the knife, will you?" She glared, and I smirked in response.

I took the knife, a blade held between two sticks. "Now we need to find one of those Canticle trees."

"Do you think it's that one?" she asked. I followed her pointing finger to a tree that seemed very different from the others in the glade.

"It's worth a try." I climbed up the rocks, which seemed faster than taking the actual path. The knife slide easily through the bark, cutting away a piece the size of a thin book.

"I hope those moths like the bark as much as Dexion said they would," Serana said doubtfully.

"He didn't give us much to go on," I agreed. Bark in hand, I walked toward a nearby swarm. They immediately surrounded me, floating around the bark.

"Look at them." She looked impressed. "They've definitely taken a liking to you. And..." She squinted. "Unless I'm seeing things, you're starting to glimmer."

I started off toward the next group. "Hopefully it's temporary," I called back.

A few swarms later, and it seemed as the cavern had gotten darker. "You look like a walking lantern," Serana said, and I knew she was hiding a grin behind her hand.

I shot a glare at her. "If this isn't temporary, I'm following you around for the rest of eternity."

She laughed, not bothering to hide her mirth now. "Let's head back up there and see if you can read the scrolls before you start making threats."

I made a beeline for the pillar of light that streamed through a hole in the ceiling. She noticed me hesitate. "Nervous?"

"Nah," I said, with bravado I didn't quite feel, and took out the scroll her mother had given us.

The ink on the parchment began to glow brightly, and lifted off the paper. I felt my hand reach for the other scroll,  and open it. The image from that one joined the first, though both scrolls were now at my feet. The symbols and lines shimmered and merged together to form a map. Though there were no identifying marks, I knew it to be a map of Skyrim, and I knew where it was telling me to go. Suddenly the light died, both in front of me and around me, and my vision dimmed considerably.

"Are you okay?" She frowned. "I almost thought I lost you there. You went white as the snow."

I blinked rapidly, feeling less nervous as my vision cleared. "I'm fine."

She growled. "I never trusted those damn scrolls. You saw what they did to Dexion."

I grinned in reply. "I’m glad to hear you care. It's all okay. I found where Auriel's Bow is. Darkfall Cave, in Haafingar."

She sighed. "Then it's finally over. We can finally put an end to this ridiculous prophecy. We should get going, before my father has a chance to track us down."

Were I a beast, my ears would have pricked up, but instead, my eyes shot to the entrance we came in at. I could smell vampires. "A bit late for that."

After a short battle, we left the grove. "There should be a carriage we can take to Solitude," Serana said. We could see Falkreath from where we stood, and there did seem to be a carriage waiting there.

A whine escaped my throat before I could stop it, and I grinned sheepishly at her questioning look. "Sorry. My beast hasn't gotten to run since I got her back. We've been in so many carriages over the past few weeks- she's getting anxious."

I dutifully pretended nothing had happened and peered at the town. "It looks like the driver is going to be busy for a little while, he's flirting with..." I laughed, loudly. "Ah, he's flirting with Narri. He'll definitely be busy long enough for us to get down there."

"Don't you want to run?"

I looked back at her, eyes wide in shock. "Well, yeah, I always want to run. It's in my blood. But we need to hurry and get to Darkfall Cave. The sooner this prophecy gets finished, the sooner you'll be safe from Harkon."

She smiled at me, but it was a strange smile. "Ever since I woke up you've been nothing but accommodating. You traveled as a human, you traveled at night, you kept me fed, and you rode in carriage after carriage because I couldn't keep up. Why?"

I huffed out a breath. "I just did. It seemed like the decent thing to do."

"Would you do it for anyone?" The smile was still there.

"Haven't I made that clear?" I demanded. "No, I wouldn't change my patterns to keep just anyone happy. I didn't kill your kind indiscriminately for Isran, I refused to become a vampire for your father-" I shook my head like I was trying to clear it of water. "Damn it, what do you want from me?"

Her next question startled me so badly that I nearly fell over.

"Would you become a vampire for me?"

My jaw worked furiously to make words, but all that came out was nonsensical sounds. Finally, I gave up, and just worked on breathing, focusing on a particularly green pebble at my feet. Then it dawned on me.

I would. I honestly would. Losing my beast-blood had made it clear that even without the instincts of a wolf, I still considered Serana pack. Family. The only difference had been... There really hadn't been a difference, actually. If it meant staying by her side, keeping her safe from people like her father, and making her _happy_ , I would do it in a heartbeat. That thought terrified me, but I also felt... happier. The loneliness I felt despite the wolf that walked always by my side lightened as I realized I'd throw away everything I had. For her.

She stayed quiet while I was hit by that interesting revelation, waiting. I looked up, and silver eyes met gold. "I would," I told her. "If _you_ asked."

A myriad of expressions appeared and died on her face in the course of a few heartbeats. Shock, happiness, fear, and the light of hope that I had never really seen on her before, even when we found a way into the Soul Cairn and she found Valerica. She settled on a soft smile and something flickered in her expression. "If you're willing to do all that for me, then you should run. I'll take the carriage to Solitude and meet you in Dragon Bridge."

On one hand, I really didn't want to leave her behind. I knew she could take care of herself, but that nagging feeling of _what if_ stuck with me.As my human mind puzzled out all the complications and distractions, my beast heart let out a fierce howl of happiness that made my decision for me. "I'll fly like Kyne is letting me travel her domain," I told Serana, grinning. "I might even beat you there."

Serana chuckled lightly. "You're probably right. Don't let a bear eat you."

She started down the path to Falkreath, but I grabbed her hand before she could go. "Wait," I said.

She glanced back, and I pulled her into a tight hug. "Thank you," I whispered.

Her answering squeeze was all I needed. I let her go and dropped my pack off of my shoulders, kneeling beside it to root around for a rope. I used the length to make the straps on my bag longer, and more suitable for carrying as a wolf. I looked back when all was ready. She had left.

Even so, I still felt the elation from earlier. I stripped off quickly and stuffed my equipment into the bag. My quiver I tucked inside the compartment as well, so the arrows wouldn't fall out, and my bow I strapped to the back. The result wasn't pretty, but it would work.

I closed my eyes and let down the barrier between the beast and I, until the two were so intertwined that it was impossible to know where the human or the animal began. The change was more exhilarating than I remembered it being since before my pack had been decimated, 16 years past, and I howled my delight to the moon.

The straps on the bag now fit perfectly around my torso and arms. They were interlocked in a way that allowed for full mobility, stayed on well, and was easily accessible by my long-clawed hands. When everything was set, I knelt in a crouch, taking off like an arrow from a bow with a snarl.

It was a long journey. At a dead run, it would take me about twelve hours to complete. But I knew that the carriage would take half that again, and my beast knew that she could hunt the elk that grazed along the river in that time easily. There was no quiet stalking, only a roar to frighten the kine into running and churning the earth with my claws as I gave chase.

I didn't bother going after the old or weak. I ran straight for the large buck that led the herd, leaping up a tree to jump back down and land on his back. He made a barking yelp of terror as my claws dug into the flesh of his neck and hit the ground, the momentum throwing us across the dirt. I ended his struggling with a bite to the back of the neck, leaving the rest of the herd to run in fear of me while I fed.

The first mouthful of warm, bloody flesh tasted better than the finest mead the Companions that allowed themselves to be leashed talked of. I devoured the rest of the creature hungrily, until only bone and hoof and horn remained. A lesser beast might have felt compelled to sleep after such a meal, but I felt no such weakness. I continued my run, steel-tight muscles never weakening as each bound brought my close to my destination.

I ran through the day, delighting in the frightened gasps and shouts of townsfolk that saw me through the trees. I came across a group of Stormcloaks, easily recognized in their blue-cloth armor. I refused to go around. I ran right through their party, bowling the lesser humans over. By the time they recovered long enough to try and fight me, I was already long gone.

I never felt more at ease than when I was running, not until I met Serana. It was hard to decide which I prefered; her company or moving through the trees like a phantom of the hunt. The Companions of Jorrvaskr, at least the ones "afflicted" as they were so fond of referring to it, were fools. Sovngarde could not hold anywhere near the delights of running and hunting and chasing and killing for eternity with Lord Hircine.

 


	14. Chapter 14

It was dark when I reached the trees that bordered Dragon Bridge. I saw no carriage, or any sign of Serana, and I laughed as well as I could in this form. Behind an outcropping of rocks, out of sight of any guards or soldiers, I shifted back. The bag dropped away from my smaller frame. Unlike the other times I had shifted back recently, there was no pain in this. It was much the same as sinking into a cool stream after a long and arduous fight.

When I was dressed appropriately, and my bag was modified back to something I could once again carry, I trotted back to the road and into Dragon Bridge. I got a few suspicious looks from guards, but that was to be expected. It wasn't every day you saw a Nord woman with a grin on her face walk into your town after dark. Frankly, if they hadn't been wary, I would have been concerned for their intellect.

I bought a room with strict instructions to have Serana directed there when she came in, as well  as a pheasant roast and some mead. I ate and drank happily, unconcerned about intoxication. I could drink enough mead to kill a dozen Nords and suffer no ill-effects besides a belly-ache, because that was a lot to drink. When my meal was finished, I curled up on the floor with the wall at my back, sated and at peace.

"Enjoying the honeymoon?"

I slung my arm off of my eyes and stared blearily at the figure in front of the closed door. "Whazzat?"

My eyes focused to see Serana grinning widely at me. "The innkeeper wished us a happy marriage. What did you say to her?"

"That I married a vicious harpy that doesn't want me to get any rest," I muttered, hiding my head under my arm again.

I heard more than saw as she knelt by my head. A moment later, I felt a hand running through my hair. "Wasn't running supposed to improve your mood?" she asked, voice still full of mirth.

"Heh," I said, shifting my arm so I could see her. "It did. It gave me time to think, which was nice."

Her hand paused for a moment before continuing its motions. "What about?"

"The future," I said through a yawn. My eyes were still bleary, so I blinked a few times. "What I'll do after the Tyranny of the Sun is dealt with."

Her voice gentled as she asked, "What did you decide?"

I sat up to face her, pushing myself up with my arms to rest on my knees. "Well, I'll need to defeat Alduin." I nodded slowly. "That would need to be taken care of. After that, I don't know. I think... I'd see if you wanted me to stick around, after all this was done and over with." I hesitated, quickly trying to phrase what I was about say as tactfully as possible; something I always found difficult. "You mentioned earlier about me becoming a vampire for you."

Her response was immediate. "I shouldn't have-"

"No," I interrupted. "It was a fair question, and I meant what I said." I grinned teasingly. "If you're willing to put up with my pain-in-the-ass self for eternity, I'd be happy to stay with you."

The smile on her face was wistful, like she almost didn't believe it. "We'll see," was all she said, before moving to sit on the bed. "It's still daylight, but the sun will be setting in about seven hours. We should rest up while we can."

I fixed an expression of mock outrage on my face. "And I'm sleeping on the floor? You weren't even going to ask me?"

She looked up at the ceiling in exasperation. "Didn't you say last time that you were perfectly happy on the floor?"

"And now I'm not!" I said cheerfully. I stood and threw myself on the bed from the end, tucking myself against the wall. "There's plenty of room for both of us, and I'm sick of hard surfaces." I shut my eyes, feigning sleep.

I heard quiet laughter, and her hand settled in my hair again, and I fell back into a dreamless slumber.

 


	15. Chapter 15

Serana woke me when the sun set, and we set off for Darkfall Cave. It was dark, annoyingly so, but we could both see well enough to move forward. There was a single, smaller Frostbite spider that I hit with my bow. Its carapace cracked, and it squelched almost sickeningly. There was a bridge in front of us, but it led to a cave-in.

"I think I see a way through," I told her, and we started across the bridge.

Started being the key word. The damn wood gave out halfway through, and we crashed into an underground river. The water ran very swiftly, more so than I was capable of swimming, and I spent the entire time trying to keep air in my lungs. It threw both of us out into a chamber with three Frostbite spiders in it. Wonderful.

I staggered to my feet, nocked, and loosed an arrow at the closest one. My quiver was lighter than it had been before we fell into the river, but I still had enough to deal with the creatures. I shook my head like a dog, shaking the water away. "I found the way through," I said, earning me an annoyed look from a water-logged vampire.

We came across an encampment, long abandoned- or so we thought. There were two bodies torn viciously by a very large creature. It almost looked like something I could do, but even messier.

"This is awful," Serana said, horrified. "Why would anyone set up camp here? What happened to them?"

A journal, soggy with blood and other fluids, lay forgotten on the rock. I snagged it with two fingers and flipped through it gingerly. "Trolls," I spat. "They thought they could live in harmony with them. Idiots."

The bellow of the beast that had slain these humans alerted both of us to its location. Our eyes met, and I saw the need for vengeance in her's. I nodded in acceptance, and we crept forward to kill the creature.

If I was brutally honest, I'd say I didn't care about the deaths. They went into the wild places, they tried to control what couldn't- _shouldn’t_ \- be controlled, and they paid for it. My only reason for killing the trolls was a desire to pass through the cavern unscathed. It was somewhat amusing to me that Serana seemed to care more than that. She hated the loss of life, the senseless violence. What a strange way to be for a vampire.

The troll had a friend, sibling or mate I wasn't sure. We killed that too. Eventually we ended up at the other half of the cave. The rich scent of woodsmoke nearly made me sneeze, and I nudged her. She glanced at me, and I put my finger to my lips in a "shh" gesture, then pointed toward where the smell came from.

"Campfire," she told me, assuring me of what I had already guessed with her superior eyesight.

We moved closer, careful to make no noise. I peered over a rock and saw an elf standing beside a white stone structure.

"What's that?" Serana whispered. "I can feel some kind of power from it."

The elf spoke. "Come forward," he called, not looking toward us. "You have nothing to fear here."

We glanced at each other, and lowered our weapons as we approached. "Who are you?" I called. "Why are you here?"

"I am Knight-Paladin Gelebor," he stated, in an accent that I had not heard before. His hands were clasped together in front of him. "Welcome to the Great Chantry of Auri-El."

I glanced around. "This cave is a temple to Auriel?"

"Auriel, Auri-El, Alkosh, Akatosh," he mused. "So many names for the sovereign of the Snow Elves."

My jaw nearly hit the stone floor below. "Snow Elves? You're a _Falmer_?"

The elf winced. "I prefer Snow Elf. The name "Falmer" holds no good meaning to most travelers. Those twisted creatures you call Falmer, I call the Betrayed."

I knew a few scholars that would have paid fortunes to meet this elf, but now was not the time. "I imagine you know why we're here, then."

He bowed his head in a nod. "Of course. You're here for Auriel's Bow. Why else would you be here?"

"Sight-seeing?" I asked, before I could stop myself. Serana elbowed me for it.

The somber elf smiled a little at that. "Wit. I so do miss speaking with others. I can help you find the bow, but first, I need your help."

"What do you need?" Serana asked.

"I need you to kill Arch-Curate Vyrthur," he said, growing more somber than before. "My brother."

"Kill your brother?" I demanded. "Why?"

"The kinship between us is gone," he said sadly. "I don't understand what he's become, but he's no longer the brother I once knew. It was the Betrayed, I think. They did something to him. I just don't know why Auri-El would allow this to happen."

That's what I liked about the Daedric Princes, Lord Hircine in particular. Their reasoning was usually pretty clear, and it was best to be in another city when they decided to do something.

"What exactly did the Betrayed do?" Serana questioned, as curious as I wasn't.

The Knight-Paladin's leather gloves creaked as his hands tightened into fists. "They swept into the Chantry without warning some time ago, and began killing everyone without pause."

"And you didn't fight back?" I asked, incredulous.

His eyes narrowed. "The Chantry was a place of _peaceful_ worship. I lead a small group of Paladins, but we were no match for the sheer strength of the Betrayed. They slaughtered everyone, before storming the Inner Sanctum. I believe that is where they corrupted Vyrthur."

"Then how do you know he's alive?" I kept my tone somewhat more respectful this time.

"He's alive. I've seen him." He seemed at a loss for words. "But something is wrong. He never looks pained, or as though he's under duress. He just stands there, and watches. Waiting."

I grunted. "Then I suppose you haven't tried to get into the Inner Sanctum."

He shook his head. "Leaving the Wayshrine unguarded would be violating my sacred duty as a Knight-Paladin of Auri-El. And an assault on the Betrayed within the Inner Sanctum would only end in my death."

What? "A Wayshrine?"

"Yes, let me show you." He moved away from his post before the stone structure, and faced it. His hand glowed with a pale, golden light, that seemed to leap to the spire at the top of the structure. It too glowed, as a grinding sound filled the cave. The structure rose, revealing it to be held up by five walls of a similar stone. One wall was missing to serve as an entryway, showing a stone basin set on a pillar in the center of the Wayshrine.

Serana whistled lowly. "So this is Snow Elf magick. Incredible."

"This structure is known as a Wayshrine." Wow, something I didn’t know. "They were used for meditation, and for transport when the Chantry was a place of enlightenment. Prelates of those shrines were charged with teaching the mantras of Auri-El to our Initiates."

"And the basin in the center?" I asked, pointing.

A silver, ornate jug materialized in his hands. "Once the Initiate completed his mantras, he would dip a ceremonial ewer in the basin of the Wayshrine's center, and proceed to the next."

"So these Initiates had to lug around a pitcher of water?" Serana asked sardonically. I elbowed her for it. "Marvelous. How long would they have to do that?"

The elf looked disapprovingly at us. "Well, once the Initiate's enlightenment was complete, he'd bring the ewer to the Chantry's Inner Sanctum. Pouring the contents of the ewer into the sacred basin of the Sanctum would grant him access for an audience with the Arch-Curate himself."

"All that water just to dump it out?" I raised an eyebrow.

"Makes no sense to me," Serana chimed in.

"It's symbolic," the Snow Elf said frostily. "I wouldn't expect you to understand."

"So, let's get this straight." She crossed her arms. "We need to do all this just to get into the temple, so we can kill your brother and claim Auriel's Bow?"

"If there was another way, I would have done it long ago," he replied stiffly. "The only way to get to my brother is following the Initiates' footsteps and travelling from Wayshrine to Wayshrine, just as they did. They first lay at the end of Darkfall Passage, a cavern that represents the absence of enlightenment." The look he gave us suggested that he felt we belonged there.

"How many more Wayshrines are there?" I asked, smilingly pleasantly.

"Five, in total, spread far across the Chantry." He swept his gloved hand in a circle, palm down.

That was a lot. "These caves must be massive."

"Caves?" He smirked. "Oh no. The Chantry encompasses far more than a few caves, as you will soon discover." He handed me the jug.

I hefted it slightly. It appeared to weigh very little, just enough to prove it was there. "So I need to fill this at each Wayshrine?"

Gelebor nodded. "Once you've located a wayshrine, there will be a spectral Prelate tending to it. They will allow you to draw the waters from the shrines basin as if you've been enlightened. If you have any more questions, ask them now. We  may be unable to converse again until you have completed your task."

I shook my head. "I'll ask them if there's time."

"Then good luck," he told me. He waved his hand, now glowing again, and a portal opened on the far side. He then settled back into that statue-stillness he had been in before we arrived.

Serana was the first to step up to the portal. I, however, was more than a little reticent considering the last time I involved myself with portals. She noticed.

"This won't be like last time," she assured me. "The magick of the Ideal Masters is built on slavery and cruelty. Auriel isn't the same."

"If you say so." I stepped through, cringing the entire time.

"That wasn't as unpleasant as the portal to the Soul Cairn," she said suddenly, alerting me to the fact that we had gone through. "Kind of soothing, actually. I feel a little warmer now."

At least she hadn't said "I told you so". "C'mon."

We came across Falmer nearly immediately, as well as Chaurus, and a new, flying creature that burst from a Chaurus carcass we thought was dead. Past experience had told me that the Falmer were easily confused by loud noises, especially ones that echoed. I roared a battle cry that gave us the advantage in killing them.

"Looks like these Falmer are here to stay," Serana said, wiping her dagger on a scrap of cloth a Falmer had attached to it's armor. "They must be who that Paladin was calling 'The Betrayed'."

I made a harsh noise in the back of my throat. "Something like this happened to the werewolves of Solstheim, a long time ago. They told stories about it around the bonfire in my old pack."

"What happened to them?" She sounded both curious and concerned. Probably about offending me, but the noise I had made hadn't been anger.

I snorted. "Those werewolves could only change at night, and they became ravening beasts. They suffered bloodlust so profound that to not eat would cripple them at dawn's first light. The story said that they had begged a hag to give them Hircine's gift, but unlike my pack's ancestors, the hag they found hadn't been the least bit benevolent. The warriors of the village had killed her son in a drunken brawl, in one of the mead halls around the island."

I glanced at her, grinning. "I might be a bit feral when I change, and I definitely am when I don't, but those wolves were stupid. They called themselves the Forsaken and tried to rebel against Hircine for what they called a 'curse'. He crushed that, fairly quickly, and those that remained were wiser."

She looked impressed. I wondered if it was because those were quite a few words for me to string together when I wasn't threatening someone. "What happened to them?"

The noise I made was meant to be "I don't know" but it just kind of came out "ayuhnu". "The packs don't really communicate, let alone across that much water. I've always wanted to travel to Solstheim and find out."

We started moving down the tunnel again. "That would be fun," she said casually. "To travel and see a place outside Skyrim's caves."

I laughed. "We do see a lot of those. I think you'd enjoy it. They say that even after the explosion of Red Mountain, it's still fairly beautiful."

Abruptly, Serana stopped walking, and for the first time, I saw her speechless. Finally, she got the words through her mouth. "Red Mountain _exploded_?"

I blinked at her. Repeatedly. "Uh, yes. It did. That was one of those things you missed. That, and Mehrunes Dagon trying to take over Tamriel from Cyrodiil."

She scowled. "Wonderful. I'm locked up for Oblivion knows how long and things go insane."

"Tell you what," I said, readying an arrow at the sound of approaching Falmer. "If we survive this, I'll tell you all about it on a boat ride to Solstheim."

We passed through the cave system more slowly than I would have liked. The Falmer continued to attack as they saw us approaching, and the flying _things_ that burst out of the dead Chaurus made things more difficult. It wasn't pleasant to turn your back on something you thought was dead only to hear wet squishing and cracking and suddenly acid was eating at your skin. A stone door sealed our path, a long-dead sentinel staring sightless from in front of two pull-ropes.

After all the traps we had gone through just getting here, significantly more than the Falmer usually implemented, I was more than a little nervous about pulling either rope. Obviously one would open the door, but what about the other?

Serana was of the same opinion. "Pull chains and traps," she noted. "Be careful. Whatever is on the other side of that, the Falmer wanted to keep it there."

I pulled both ropes in quick succession and jumped back. The door slid open and a Falmer spike drove into a creature with purple-brown mottled fur and white spots. That glowed. Okay. It roared its displeasure as the spikes drove into its front, but died quickly. The glowing dissipated too.

"That is a saber cat," I said, openly gawking. "That was a glowing saber cat. Did Sheogorath hit me with something when I wasn't looking?"

She rolled her eyes. "I've read about creatures like this. They live their lives in darkness, so they produce their own  light. Didn't you notice the flowers back there?"

I had indeed noticed the glowing flowers that disappeared when I got closed. I had been trying not to let it bother me. "Glowing animals and flowers. I think I'm a little out of my depth."

"Think of it like Chaurus eggs and glowing mushrooms," she said, almost assuringly. "They glow because it's dark. These creatures do it too."

While it was still exceedingly weird to me, I preferred my dignity as intact as possible, so I nodded and continued on. A stone path led down, past a waterfall, and to a white-stone structure near the wall like the one Gelebor had been guarding. As we got closer, an apparition of an old Snow Elf flickered into view.

"Welcome, Initiate," the old one said kindly. "This is the Wayshrine of Illumination. Are you prepared to honor the mantras of Auri-El and fill your vessel with His enlightenment?"

There were many things I wanted to say that might have given us away as something other than Initiates, so I said, "Yes," and left it at that.

"Then behold Auri-El's gift, my child." His hand glowed with the same spell Gelebor had used. "May it light your path as you seek tranquility within the Inner Sanctum. May Auri-El's brilliance illuminate your path."

The Wayshrine rose up as the one before had, complete with the basin of water. I filled the ewer only partially with water, but nothing happened, no portal appeared. I dipped it back in to fill it the rest of the way and the portal shimmered to life. The ewer seemed no heavier, either.

 


	16. Chapter 16

"Magick," I spat, more as a curse than anything else, and we passed through the portal.

My eyes remained open this time, so Serana and I both saw the Forgotten Vale together. I gasped. What I thought would likely be a small clearing that led to another cave was in fact a large valley of snow and rock. At the base of the valley, a frozen river ran all the way through, alongside which stood a forest.

I could see the signs of Falmer encampments, but the beauty of the Vale was barely diminished. "It's beautiful," I said, awestruck.

"This is the kind of thing I wanted to see when I came with you," she agreed. "It makes everything, getting locked up and dealing with my father, almost worth it." She was quiet for a moment, and I didn't speak either. "I think that's another Wayshrine up there," she said, pointing. "Let's go."

We continued through the Forgotten Vale, at one point being attacked by two dragons that were tougher than any I had faced in a long time. The first fell quickly enough at the point of a sword I had taken from a Falmer, but the second had gotten the measure of our skills and reacted more readily. At one point I considered calling on Durnehviir, but the fear of the wrath of the Snow Elves stayed my Shout. The second died on the wing, slamming into the shore of the river with the almighty crash of bone and rock colliding.

"Two?" Serana demanded, panting. "Two of those beasts? What's next, will Alduin fly over those mountains?"

I limped over to stand between the mountainous corpses of the dragons. "Please don't tempt fate."

She followed me, but stopped when I raised my hand. "What are you doing..?"

I didn't answer as the dragons began to smoke and crackle with flame, and closed my eyes. The fire rushed toward me, and I dimly heard her panicked yell. I felt the souls merge with my own, and the faint itch of new skin crawling over the injuries I had sustained during the fight. Nonexistent wind rushed past my ears, and I heard a distant iron clang that always came at the very end. My eyes opened slowly, and Serana looked like she was about to rush at me at any moment.

"What in Oblivion was that?" she demanded.

"Dragonborn," I reminded her smugly. "If the souls of slain dragons aren't destroyed, they can be brought by Alduin, or they can reform elsewhere." I gestured to the corpses. "They won't be coming back now."

She glanced over me. "Are you injured?"

"Not at all." I rolled up my legging to show where a stray spike had torn the muscle of my calf. It was completely gone. "That's the nice thing about fighting dragons, their souls completely rejuvenate you." I frowned. "Are _you_ hurt?"

"Nothing I can't fix." She placed a palm over a burn on her arm. It looked like she was using a healing spell, but it was the same purple as the braziers outside her tomb. "There," she said as the angry red disappeared. "All better."

That was surprising to see. "I didn't know healing spells worked on vampires."

"They don't." She smirked. "Another trick I learned from my mother."

I rolled my eyes with a snort. "Vampires with healing powers and glowing deer. What is Tamriel coming to?"

Our path led us to a rather large cave system cut into the ice. Inside were, of course, more Falmer, but killing them was incredibly simple. The ice ledges could be reached easily, and my arrows picked the creatures off one by one.

Naturally the next encampment we found had to be extremely difficult. The Falmar had built themselves _on_ the rocky walls of the ravine, which in an annoying twist of irony’s blade, made their arrows far more annoying to deal with. As much as I hated to do it, I Shouted more than once. The fire that left me also left a hole inside my chest, but I found it hard to be upset when the Falmer buildings caught fire. We passed through, picking off the ones foolish enough to attack us, and made it to the final Wayshrine.

Yet again we were greeted and yet again I filled the ewer. This time, though, it finally felt and looked like there was water in it. It glowed faintly, and almost in response, I saw a glow off in the distance. "I think that's where we need to go," I told Serana, and we headed toward it.

A massive building of marble that had been sculpted beautifully, and yet not in a way I recognized, came into view as we crossed the rather ornate bridge that led to it. A statue of Auri-El seemed to look down at me with a stern, yet loving countenance.

Serana felt differently. "I swear that statue is judging me," she muttered. "But this looks like the place; I've never seen a building like this before."

"I think it's some kind of temple," I told her, surveying the steps that led to the door.

"I never saw anything like this back on the island," she said quietly.

I glanced at her out of the corner of my eye, grinning. "There's plenty more out there. Wait until you see a Dwemer ruin."

The door refused to budge, not even when I shoved my shoulder against it. "Damn it," I growled, slapping my hand onto the stone sun jutting out. "How do we get in?"

She looked around. "What about this basin?" she asked. "I think you need to pour the water in here."

I looked from the door, to her, to the basin, and sighed heavily. In my beast form, my ears would have been folded back, but I settled for scowling. I muttered rather unkind things about Snow Elves, rituals, and magical basins as I more or less dumped the water from the ewer. The water glowed brighter as it poured through notches in the stone and into a groove in the stonework below. On and on it flowed until it came to the door. The stone sun glowed briefly, and the doors opened.

I caught Serana smirking at me, growled wordlessly, and stalked into the temple.

Directly inside were more Falmer, but these were...

"They're frozen!" She was just as startled as I was, though I stepped forward to poke one. It didn't move, and she stopped herself from snatching my hand back. "I wonder how long they've been like this."

My lip curled. "And I thought the Soul Cairn was creepy. The sooner we're out of here, the better."

The chapel was only a short walk away. Inside, sitting on a throne of ice, sat another Snow Elf. "Did you really come here expecting to claim Auriel's Bow?" he sneered. "You've done exactly as I've predicted, and brought your fetching companion to me."

I did not miss the leer he directed at Serana, and I did not like it. My beast and I growled in unison, and it echoed off the ice menacingly.

"Is he talking about me?" Serana hissed.

He stood, glaring down at us. "I'm sorry to say that this means your usefulness is at an end!"

The thunderous crackle of ice breaking brought it to my attention that the Falmer and Chaurus that we thought were frozen and dormant were no longer that way. They were too close for me to shoot, and I was out of arrows anyway, so I began swinging my bow. When the one closest to me died, I drew the sword I used to slay the dragons and leapt into the larger group.

The Arch-Curate was outraged at their defeat. "Finish them!" he bellowed, and I saw something very heavy crash into the ground beside me.

"Watch out!" Serana cried, yanking her dagger from the eye-socket of a Falmer. "He's pulling down the ceiling!"

We killed even these, both helped and hindered by the large chunks of ice that were a constant threat. "This has gone on long enough, children!" the Snow Elf snarled. "My life ended long before you were born."

The last of the frozen Falmer broke free and attacked us, and weary as we were, we cut them down as well. "Surrender and give us the bow!" I shouted.

"Death first!" He roared out something that I couldn't quite make out and the walls and ceilings came crashing down. A glancing blow struck my side and I fell to my knees.

I knelt there until the cacophony ceased. Serana tugged me to my feet. "Are you alright?" she asked, gripping my shoulders. I nodded, still stunned. "Come on, we can do this. I know we can." Her eyes hardened. "He's up on the balcony."

"Let's end this," I growled, and we gave chase.

"Enough, Vyrthur!" Serana shouted. "Give us the bow."

"How dare you!" He was hunched over, gripping his side as though he were injured. "I was the Arch-Curate, girl. I had the ears of a god!"

I curled my lip. "The Falmer corrupted you. We heard the sob story."

He laughed harshly. "Gelebor and his kind are easily manipulated fools. Look into my eyes, Serana, and tell me what I am."

I couldn't see them, but Serana did, and gasped. "You're... You're a vampire? But Auriel should have protected you."

He cursed foully. "The moment I was infected by one of my own _Initiates_ , Auri-El turned his back on me. I swore I'd have my revenge, no matter what the cost."

I blinked. "You swore to take revenge... on a god?"

His golden eyes met mine, and I saw the madness in them. "Auri-El may have been beyond my reach, but his influence on our world wasn't. All I needed was the blood of the vampire and his own weapon to destroy all he held dear on this plane."

She staggered, as though struck. "The prophecy? You created it?"

He bared his teeth in a feral smile. "A prophecy that lacked but a single ingredient; the blood of a pure vampire. Of a Daughter of Coldharbour."

I saw the flash of red in her eyes before she gripped the Snow Elf by the throat, holding him up with one arm. "You waited all this time to see someone with my blood come along," she spat. "Well too bad for you, because I intend on keeping it. Let's see if your blood has any powers."

The elven dagger she carried flashed in the pale light, and scarlet dripped onto the stone below. The Arch-Curate died quietly, not out of honor, but out of the profound defeat that dimmed his eyes before death's embrace did. The final Wayshrine behind us rumbled open, and I twisted to see if there were more enemies.

It was the Knight-Paladin. "So the deed has been done," he mused. "The restoration of this Wayshrine means that Vyrthur must be dead, and the Betrayed no longer hold him."

"The Betrayed weren't to blame." I levelled a malevolent glare at the body.  

This was news to the Snow Elf. "What? What are you talking about?"

"He was a vampire," Serana said raggedly, startling me. "He controlled them."

"A vampire? I see. That would explain much." The news didn't seem to upset him. "Deep inside, it brings me great joy that the Betrayed weren't to blame for his downfall."

I raised an eyebrow. "Why?"

His face lightened considerably. "Because that means there's still hope that they might one day shed their hatred and learn to believe in Auri-El once more." He bowed his head. "It has been a long time since I felt that way, and it's long-overdue. My thanks, to both of you."

I nodded in acceptance of his gratitude. "And the bow?"

"You risked everything to get the bow, and in doing so, you restored the Chantry. I can't think of a more deserving champion to carry it than you." He stepped back, gesturing to the Wayshrine. "If you wish to learn more about the bow, or obtain Sunhallowed arrows for it, I'm more than happy to help. You need only ask."

That seemed intriguing. "Sunhallowed arrows?"

"The bow was said to be carried by Auri-El himself into battle against the forces of Lorkhan," he explained. "It draws its power from Aetherius, and as such, an arrow loosed from the bow produces a magical effect similar to being burned by fire."

"That seems powerful," I said, thinking of the use it might be in dealing with Harkon.

He shook his head. "That isn't all. With the Sunhallowed arrows, you would be able to produce a much more spectacular effect. It would cause bursts of sunlight to envelop your foes. Particularly useful against the undead."

I frowned. "Vyrthur said something about using blood."

The Knight-Paladin, clearly disgusted, answered slowly. "An arrow dipped in blood and used with the bow may corrupt its purpose, and cause it to function differently. If you were foolish enough to try, of course."

Not likely. "Where would I get Sunhallowed arrows?"

He looked pleased at the change of topic. "I can assist you in that. If you were to bring me some well-made elven arrows, I could imbue them with the proper incantations and rituals."

"Damn." I regretted not grabbing some from Fort Dawnguard before we had left.

Serana stepped forward and handed me something. "I grabbed some before we left," she said at my astonished expression.

"Can you use these?" I asked him excitedly.

"Absolutely." He took the arrows carefully. "I can only do twenty at a time, but twelve will be simple. Just a moment." He murmured a spell, and the arrowheads began to glow subtly. I took them back from him and set them in my quiver.

"What will you do now?" I asked.

"For the time being, I will remain here on the overlook and continue trying to keep the Sanctum free of the Betrayed." He gestured to the Wayshrine again. "You're always welcome to return here through there, of course."

I wished him luck, and Serana and I went to get the bow. It hovered above a pedestal, similar to that of elvish make, but more ornate. "It's not as shiny as I expected, but it's still beautiful," she commented as I stowed it on my pack.

"So what now?" I leaned against the wall of the Wayshrine that wasn't a portal, arms crossed.

She sighed. "I think we both know. It's time to face my father. If we don't, he'll keep chasing us for the rest of our lives."

I snorted. "There's no way we can run. I am definitely not moving in with your mother." I smiled at her. "We'll face him together."

Her answering smile was one of gratitude. "If we head back to the castle and kick his door in, we're going to be knee-deep in his sycophants. We should head back to Isran and let him know we've found the bow."

I shoved off the wall. "He's bound to have a sword or two."

We went through the portal and out of the cave. It was just after dusk. A cursory glance told me that Serana appeared rather uneasy. "Are you ready to do this?" I asked gently.

She made a "heh" sound. "I don't think you can ever be ready to kill your parent. I'm doing my best not to think of him as a father anymore."

"A wise old elder once told me something," I said quietly, looking up at the sky. "Mourn the loss of what was, embrace the gift of the new, and move forward with purpose."

"Thank you," she murmured, and we left.

 


	17. Chapter 17

Isran met us in the main hall when we returned; Serana went to make a blood potion. I showed him the bow, and his eyes widened. "You have it! Auriel's Bow!" He took the weapon gently, reverently. "I've heard it described in tales, but I could never have imagined its beauty."

"We need your help, Isran." I told him about the power of the bow, and what Serana and I had planned.

"Indeed. The day hasn't been won while Harkon still walks Tamriel." He glanced at the alchemy room. "But what of it? Can it be trusted to lift a blade against it's own kind?"

Snapping his neck would not have been helpful, but for calling Serana "it", he truly deserved it. "I trust her."

Isran grunted. "I suppose that's all I can hope for. Let me address the Dawnguard and we'll be off. The men deserve to know that we've gained the upper hand. Everyone!" he shouted. "Gather 'round."

The vampire hunter began a speech that I was sure was inspiring, but I could care less. I went to check on Serana before I went and found a better sword. I was beginning to enjoy carrying one, but the Falmer blade wouldn't suit me. It was tossed aside for a glass sword that glinted in the firelight. Back downstairs, the speech was finished, and they were getting ready to leave.

Serana and I met them outside the castle gate. We left the hunters to fight the others, pressing through the crush until we reached the chapel. Harkon waited there, in that sick, demonic form he had shown me before.

"Serana, my darling." He greeted her cordially, as though the tension in the room wasn't so thick you could cut it with a stick. "I see you still favor keeping a pet."

I growled as Serana said, "You know why we're here."

The creatures face gave the impression of disdain. "Of course I do. You disappoint me, child. You've taken everything I've provided for you and thrown it all away for this... mongrel."

She scoffed. "Provided for me? Are you insane? You've destroyed our family, you've killed other vampires, all because of some prophecy we barely understand." She swept her dagger to the side, flicking blood from it. "No more. I'm done with you."

"So I see this dragon has fangs," he sneered. "Your voice drips with the venom of your mother's influence. How alike you've become."

"No," she snapped. "Because unlike her, I'm not afraid of you anymore."

He raked her with an derisive look before turning his gaze on me. "And you... It appears I have you to thank for turning my daughter against me. It knew it was only a matter of time before she'd return with hatred in her heart."

"Hatred borne of your neglect," I spat.

"A small price to pay for the betterment of our kind," he snapped.

"Which one? Backstabbing snakes or vampires?" I shot back. "Vampires wouldn't be 'bettered' by this, they would be massacred."

"Always the noble one," he said, voice full of scorn. "And when you slay me? Is Valerica next? Is Serana?"

I spat on the floor, enjoying his outraged hiss. "Neither of them would be foolish enough to start a war to destroy all of the races," I growled, voice changing as my beast-blood sang through my veins.

"Auriel's Bow will be mine!" he thundered, gliding toward us as the crackle of stone heralded his gargoyle allies.

The battle was of a ferocity that I had not fought in a very long time. Harkon would melt into a cloud of bats just as I would have hit him with a Sunhallowed arrow, and once or twice he rose to hover over the shrine. A blood-red shield protected him from harm until Serana shouted at me to use the bow. The light of the sun brought spots into my vision, but it brought down the barrier quickly enough.

A shriek startled me, and I spun around with the bow drawn. Harkon held Serana in his arms, standing on the ground rather than floating. "Shoot me," he cried, madness evident in his voice. "Destroy me, and watch Serana burn too."

I dropped the bow, head tucked as I growled at him.

He laughed, a maniacal howl that echoed throughout the room.

He had no way of stopping the knife.

Harkon's laughter broke off in a gasp, as he dropped Serana and stepped back, black eyes wide. Her knife clattered to the stone floor below, as blood drained from the wound. He staggered up the steps to the altar, but collapsed just short. "No," he panted. "Serana.. your own father..." The vampire's words died away as he melted into smoke and dissipated.

Serana dropped to her knees, head bent. though she made no noise, her frame shook with silent sobs. I knelt by her, my arms around her and my head against her shoulder. We stayed like that as the sounds of fighting slowly quieted.

 


	18. Epilogue

The cathedral door boomed open, startling me into awareness. Neither I nor Serana had moved, and at some point I had stopped noticing anything. I looked toward the sound of leather boots thudding on stone to see Isran. His brow creased momentarily to see us like that, but for once, said nothing.

Serana shifted, and I stood to help her to her feet. My arm stayed around her shoulders. "It's done," she said to Isran, voice still strong. "He's dead, and the prophecy dies with him."

The reason for the old hunter's unease became clear as he said, "I... suppose this must have been difficult for you."

"My father really died a long time ago," she said neutrally. "I did what needed to be done, nothing more."

"I think perhaps..." His frown deepened. "I think you did more than that. You have my thanks."

He looked to me. "I would like to speak with you, back at the fort. Come and see me when you can." I nodded, and he left.

I looked down at Serana, searching for any sign of something being very wrong. All I saw was quiet sadness, and though I ached for her, she would be okay. "What will you do now?" she asked.

She smiled. It didn't quite reach her eyes, but it was genuine. "I remember you mentioning Solstheim at one point."

We found passage to the far-off island in Windhelm, on the Northern Maiden. Serana took time to feed in the city, on travellers that wouldn't cause a scene. None of them died of course, but a bite mark on the neck of a prominent citizen might have stirred a ruckus. Once we were on the boat, I slept. A lot. Even though she hadn't been out much, my beast was as exhausted as I was. And with Serana beside me, my dreams were no trouble.

There was some strangeness in Raven Rock, a stone controlling the minds of citizens who touched it. One look between us was all it took, and we left as quickly as we could. We made camp in the north, past the ashlands, and spent a few weeks hunting together. My beast was less than happy to be in such a good location and not be allowed to roam, but Serana couldn't hunt like me, so I stuck with a simple bow that I had traded with a nearby village for. Auriel's Bow, of course, stayed with Isran. I was somewhat certain that a group of vampire hunting fanatics could keep it safe from anyone stupid enough to try and use it again.

Still, there was always the underlying fear that someone _would_ try again. When Serana would venture off without me, it was never long before I went looking for her. She definitely noticed, and one day she confronted me about it.

"I can take care of myself," she said irritably. "Why do you keep following me?"

I ground my teeth, rather against speaking of it. "You're still a Daughter of Coldharbour," I said, the words rushing out. "Someone could still try and harm you, for that _stupid_ prophecy. Isran and the others are only human, and if they lost the bow, the next stop would be us. I _can’t_ let that happen."

My hands, frantically trying to tear each other apart in my panic, were calmed by hers. I looked up, meeting her eyes. She didn't look irritated anymore. "Do you remember me asking if you would become a vampire for me?"

"What does this have to-" She squeezed my hand, and I nodded. "Yeah, I do."

She watched me intently. "What if I asked the opposite? What if I asked if you would make me a werewolf?"

The thrill that ran through me made my beast's position on this clear, but I was still unsure. "You'd be mortal," I told her, trying to make that as clear as possible.

"I know." She smiled, a slight twist of her lips.

I all but howled my delight as I grabbed her in a bearhug, spinning her around. We went back to camp to prepare. Though I had never made someone else like me, I had heard enough from a story the elders of my pack told occasionally. She would have to drink blood from my vein under the light of the moons. She wrinkled her nose a little when I told her this, but went ahead with it anyway.

The light of Masser and Secunda shone down through a clear sky, which to me seemed like a blessing from Hircine. I cut my wrist, just enough to fill a small bowl. I stepped back as she drank, and watched as she fell to the ground. The first transformation was always the most intense, as I well remembered, and her vampire blood could not have made that any better. I watched as the transformation set in, as she became a wolf like me. Her fur, where mine was a sandy color, was as dark as her hair. She rose to her feet and howled, before tearing off into the darkness. I followed soon after, and we ran until morning.

When I woke, we were beside a burbling stream. Snow covered the ground, but I barely felt the chill. I sat up, and saw her beside me. Her eyes met mine, now a shining silver, and for the first time since the death of my pack, I felt whole.

And the look on her face said she felt the same way.

 


End file.
